Full Circle (21 page)

Another knock at the door and Deputy Tyler Johnson stuck his head inside. "Georgina, you'd better get back on the board, I answered one call already." The young deputy looked over to Josie when the dispatcher went past him. "Hardy Spencer called in a car versus a cow accident out at his place. He's got a dead cow, and he's plenty mad. The driver of the car is not hurt, but his car is wrecked, and he's plenty mad too. I'm heading out to take care of it."

"If the cow was outside the fences, it's Hardy's liability," Josie said calmly.

The deputy looked over his shoulder. "Rick Wagner and Mrs. Watson are here."

"Go on," Josie said. "I'll backup Deputy Tucker." She straightened up her uniform before leaving her office and walking out into the wailing screaming voices of the two Watson women.

Rick Wagner, a local lawyer, turned his attention to Josie. "Sheriff, is there any real need for this? Can't we settle this matter without involving the county?"

"How dare you harass my daughter," Mrs. Caroline Watson shouted at Josie.

"Excuse me," Josie said softly. "Could we quiet this down a bit?"

"You bitch; you've been after me ever since you came back," Jolene Watson screamed. "You got me fired and now you're harassing me! I'm going to sue your ass off!"

Josie flicked at look at Jolene Watson handcuffed to the chair she was sitting in while Deputy Clay Tucker looked up calmly from his computer.

"Deputy, do you have this under control?" Josie asked calmly.

Clay Tucker gave her a nod. "Yes, ma'am. As soon as I finish this report, I am taking her to County Intake for processing. Since she is behaving in a combative manner, I'd like to take Deputy Leonard with me as a backup."

"I don't see a problem with that," Josie agreed.

"Sheriff, obviously Ms. Watson is intoxicated. She can't be held responsible for her actions in this condition," Rick Wagner said.

"Mr. Wagner, I have not had the opportunity to meet with you before, but as a licensed attorney you should know that intoxication is not an excuse for behavioral problems. Certainly not for breaking the law, whether it's driving dangerously or verbally abusing law officers," Josie disagreed. "In addition, I believe there is an issue with illegal substances."

"They aren't hers!" Mrs. Watson exclaimed. "They were planted in her vehicle by your men."

"Really?" Josie asked. "Were you there, Mrs. Watson? Are you a witness to my officers breaking the law to entrap your daughter?"

Mrs. Watson's head snapped up. "You won't get away with this! My daughter is innocent!"

"Of what," Josie asked. "Has either of you even heard the charges? You are awful quick to claim innocence without knowing the details of the arrest, which I understand were legally videotaped, recorded and logged according to standard procedures. Mr. Wagner, if you plan to represent Ms. Watson, you should know that the County Intake authorities will process her and she'll appear before a Judge. As she is presently intoxicated and combative, that hearing will probably take place tomorrow morning."

Deputy Tucker looked up, seemingly unfazed by the accusations. He saved and printed his report, looked it over, and gave a nod to his boss.

Josie walked over, carefully read the report and leaned over the desk to sign it. In the flash of a second as she turned her head to say something to the attorney, a heavy based stainless-steel desk lamp was smashed into her face.

Jolene Watson was on her feet brandishing the lamp and swearing, her face bright red with fury. Deputy Tucker tackled the woman from across the desk, taking her to the floor in a clash of bodies, as well as the chair he had handcuffed her to, followed by paperwork and bins as everything toppled to the floor. Georgina joined him on the floor, helping to subdue the combative woman.

There were more screams and swearing as Deputy Tucker wrestled Jolene onto her stomach and handcuffed her wrists behind her back. Georgina ran to an equipment closet and came back with a set of ankle shackles, and Tucker cuffed her ankles. Mrs. Watson was screaming that they were assaulting her daughter.

Deputy Tucker, Georgina and Rick Wagner all rushed to Josie and knelt down on the floor beside her.

Josie sat on the floor with her head in her hands, not daring to open her eyes. She felt like there were stars circling her head, and her ears were ringing over a strange loud roar.

"Sheriff Josie," Clay Tucker said calmly, but with concern.

"Josie, honey," Georgina's voice was frightened and worried.

The circling stars seemed to be slowing down. Josie opened her eyes to intense pain and covered her left eye with her hand and sucked in her breath.

"Help me up," she ordered, although it came out as more of a whispered groan.

She felt arms helping her up as she rocked forward dizzily. "Clay?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Josie took a deep breath as she heard Deputy Leonard come in and ask, "What's going on?"

Barely able to stay upright, Josie faced her staff and spoke to them slowly and precisely. "Deputies Tucker, Leonard, please take the prisoner out. Keep her cuffed and shackled in your vehicle for transport. She is obviously dangerous and unstable. Deputy Tucker, please tell the booking sergeant that I will e-mail them a further report of the assault on a police officer."

Josie swayed as helping hands kept her upright. "Georgina?"

"Yes, hon?"

"Please call me an ambulance." Sheriff Josie Raintree gave a slight moan as she pitched forward into the arms of her staff and friends, and they gently lowered her to the floor.

Jack handed Josie a fresh ice pack and her cell phone mouthing, 'Alex.'

Josie hoisted herself up to a sitting position and took the phone. She took a deep breath and with fake exuberance exclaimed, "Alex, how is camp?"

A few minutes later, she disconnected the call and curled up in a ball on the couch. Jack reappeared with another ice pack since she had ignored the first.

This one she gently laid against a badly swollen black eye and cheek. The damage to her left eye was extensive—the entire eye socket was a mass of bruised flesh and swollen shut, and her cheek had bruises down to her jawline. The doctors had bandaged her left eye, x-rayed and scanned her with several different machines to make sure there was no swelling of the brain or broken bones. Her right eye was also black and bloodshot, but it had not sustained a direct hit. The doctors assured her that her vision should be fine once the swelling receded.

The Rescue Squad EMTs had transported her to the closest hospital, Elkview General, where she had spent the night guarded and watched over by Jack, Buck and after he'd delivered Jolene Watson to the County lockup, Deputy Clay Tucker. The hospital discharged her the next morning, and Jack was back to playing nursemaid again.

"The word is out, Alex knows about the bodies," Josie mumbled.

"How," Jack demanded.

"Contraband cell phones, computers and I-pads and tablets. He says the kids are well connected. Apparently, he's one of only a few who didn't sneak a device into camp. He was worried, but I told him it was all in the hands of the FBI and didn't have anything to do with us. He's been in contact with some of his friends here, too. He knew about Sheriff Malone's accident and he asked if I was sheriff again."

Jack sat down beside her and guided her head onto his lap, gently kneading her shoulders.

Josie moaned. "I told him it wasn't me, not this week, like it was a joke."

"You lied to him," Jack said bluntly. "That's going to come back and bite you. If he's on-line, and talking to his friends in town, he's going to find out that you were attacked. "

"I'm not the sheriff this week," Josie protested. "Deputy Tucker has taken over until I get cleared for duty in a couple of days."

"Weeks," Jack disagreed. "You're not going to be cleared for work that soon, and you're not going to talk your way back any sooner. Do you need another painkiller?"

"No, I'm okay," she protested. "You keep pushing those pain killers at me."

"When you whine, you're hurting," Jack said with a wry grin. "You're whining."

"You're supposed to be nice to me," Josie complained. "At least that bitch is still behind bars and won't be getting out anytime soon. Has Agent Coulter called?"

"Yes, but I told him you were resting," Jack said. "He's going to stop by this evening and I might let you talk to him if you behave."

"Excuse me?" Josie snapped. "Let me?"

"Yep, let you," Jack said firmly. With a single fluid move, he lifted her up into his arms and headed up the stairs.

"I can still kick your ass," Josie declared weakly.

"I might let you try since you're kind of feeble at the moment. When you're fit and able, you're downright dangerous," Jack said patiently, "But remember there's always a price to pay when you don't listen. Right now, I am putting you back to bed. If you don't want the pain pill now, you can take it later. You get some rest. We can fight later."

Josie woke up to pounding, and it took her a minute to realize it was not inside her head this time. Someone was pounding on the front door. Dear God, if those doorbell chimes rang out again, she was going to blow them away with a shotgun!

She slowly felt her way down the stairs, as the pounding persisted. Where the hell was Jack when she needed him? She opened the door to Mayor Aiden Roland.

"Aiden, what do you want?" she demanded.

"I wanted to see if you were okay. I didn't know you were living with Jack Rawlings. He won't tell me anything." Aiden stepped in and surveyed her face in horror. "Should you be up?"

"No, goddamn it, she shouldn't," Jack snarled, slamming in through the side door. "Didn't I tell you to stop calling? Josie is injured and needs rest. I don't give a flying fuck what your problem is, deal with it yourself and leave her the hell alone." Taking matters into his hands, Jack shoved the mayor out the door and slammed it shut in his face. He bent over and put Josie over his shoulder, and carried her back up the stairs.

"Jack!" Josie protested.

"Be quiet! I told that damn idiot three times on the phone to let you have some peace," Jack said angrily as he gently placed her on her feet. "How long have you been doing both your job and his?"

"Almost from the beginning when I came back to town."

"Why?"

Josie gave a sigh as he tossed her robe aside and tucked her back into bed, and sat down beside her. "Aiden's not a strong man, Jack. He is the pampered son of Mary Roland. She ran this town for years and was good at it. When Mrs. Roland was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, he stepped into her position. From what I understand, she continued to run the town through him. Only now, the disease has progressed and she's in a special care facility. He has to make the decisions and he's not very good at it."

"He's an inept ninny," Jack swore. "He'd better grow some balls, because you're not doing his job anymore!"

"Jack," Josie murmured.

"What?"

She gave him a hard shove although she winced at the jolt of pain it caused her as Jack landed on the floor. "Don't tell me what do! Your caveman tactics will not work. I'm well aware of my injuries, and I'm not stupid! I will take the time off I need to recuperate, but I don't need you to go all Neanderthal on me. Got it?"

"Yeah," Jack countered, "but I'm still bigger and meaner, and I'm not letting every stupid dick in this town run you to death because they can't do their jobs. Got it?"

"I got it," Josie said with mock sweetness. "Now I'll take one of those pills and, Jack?"

"What?"

Josie swallowed the pill he gave her, lay down and shut her good eye. "Thank you. It's nice to have a giant troll on guard duty."

Jack grinned and leaned over to kiss her gently on the lips. Then he stood back, shaking his head. "Damn, I knew I'd get the short end of the stick. Where's my sleeping beauty? You're still a contrary little toad."

"Warts and all," Josie agreed sleepily with a half-smile on her lips.

Josie sat at her dining room table facing FBI Agent Bill Coulter, two other federal agents, Kiowa County Homicide Detective, Rich Webber, two Special Investigators from the State of Oklahoma, and Acting Sheriff Clay Tucker.

"So what you're saying is you have nothing," Josie said.

"We have forensic evidence and a profile but we can't connect it to any previous murders with the same MO or anyone that has been accused of anything like these murders." Agent Bill Coulter agreed.

"Six dead women and nothing," Josie repeated. "How is that possible?"

"Our profilers are still working on it. We can profile sociopathic personalities, but profiles don't come with fingerprints or DNA. We have several unidentified fingerprints, but they don't match anything in the system. We have unidentified samples of DNA, which match across some of the victims, but again, no matches in the system. Fingerprints and DNA don't get into the system unless someone breaks the law or has dealings with the government. We can't fingerprint every citizen in the county, state or country. As law enforcement, we would love that, DNA samples too, but that is not likely to happen in our lifetimes. Even if we had matches, it doesn't mean the prints or DNA came from our killer. Stray hairs fall off people all the time. People bump into each other all the time and leave prints behind. We have nothing. Our killer may live anywhere and simply travel through this area. By now, our killer is aware we have discovered the bodies and may go dormant for a while or find a new dumping site. I'm sorry. We'll keep working the case and keep it active, but there isn't a lot of evidence. Our lab people will continue to test samples, and we will continue to work all the angles. We will also be releasing the names of the murdered women, but not their photos, and we have asked for cooperation from the families. That wasn't our team's decision, but one from higher up. They are hoping with no photographs that the media will settle down."

Josie looked over to the FBI Agent with disbelief. "Are they that stupid? It will take all of three minutes for any enterprising newsperson to come up with the photos. The photographs were released to the newspapers and media when the women initially went missing."

"We all have incompetence to deal with," Agent Bill Coulter said with a grimace. "Although you never heard me say that."

"As far as I know, there's only one reporter still down at the motel," Clay Tucker volunteered. "Everybody knows who he is, and I don't think anyone is talking to him."

"Good, but don't count on it," Bill Coulter said. "We're living in an age of cell phone videos. Everyone wants their five minutes of glory even if they are lying through their teeth. If anything comes up, we'll get in touch with your office."

After the Agents and state officers left, Clay picked up his hat. "It's been a couple of days, Josie. How are you feeling? We've been real worried about you, but wanted to give you some quiet time to rest."

"I'm doing better," Josie admitted. "The eye doctor says the eye patch can come off in a couple more days. How is everything in town?"

The acting sheriff gave her a nod. "Now that those media yahoos have left, it's pretty much back to normal. Mrs. Watson is trying to raise a ruckus over Jolene, but no one pays her much mind. Everybody thinks real highly of you, Josie, and everybody is sorry you got hurt. I'm probably the most sorry, because I figure it was my fault. I should have cuffed both of her hands to the chair."

"Clay, this is not your fault," Josie interrupted. "One cuff is standard. No one could know she would get violent. We knew she was over the alcohol limit, but we didn't know how many drugs she had in her system. She tested positive for both marijuana and cocaine. With that mix in her bloodstream, I'm surprised she didn't attack you. Jolene has completed her initial three days of evaluation at County, but because she attacked me, she will be held for a mandatory ten days. The doctors can request a longer evaluation time, and the judge would authorize it. The county attorney, John Conard, who is representing me, is recommending 180 days in a rehab center or a year in Mabel Bassett Correctional Center for Women. Rick Wagner countered with 30 days rehab with the ten days in Eval counted as time served. John's response to that was fairly explicit and graphic. He's playing hardball because she both verbally and physically assaulted police officers. We'll see how it turns out, but in no way, shape or form are you to blame yourself."

"Well, you can say that," Clay Tucker said, "but it doesn't change how I feel. I'll do the best I can while you're off, Josie. I reckon you should be getting some rest now."

"Thanks, Clay, and tell everyone I'll stop by as soon as I get cleared."

Jack shut the door behind Clay and went to find Josie. He had not been allowed in on the meeting. She seemed to be staring off into space. She blinked and smiled at him, and lost her smile.

"Six women, Jack, and they're going to fall through the cracks of the system."

"You don't know that. Sometimes these cases take years to solve."

"I know, but these victims seem to be almost anonymous. They were ordinary women—two students, a teacher, a waitress, a clerk in a gas station, and an office administrator. Even when they disappeared, no one except their families took much notice. One day they went to work or out to run errands, and they never returned. There is nothing about these women to make them standout. They weren't in vital jobs or daughters of important people. There was no reason for the newspapers, networks or even the police to continue looking for them. They disappeared and faded from everyone's memory. The two youngest ones still had posters out on them with computer-aged photographs, but mostly these women vanished into obscurity."

"I wish I could tell you they won't vanish again, but I can't," Jack said. "How are you feeling?"

"Good. I think the worst is over."

"Are you up for a good fight?" Jack asked.