We’d only been back from our honeymoon for a week when I got the call. After the two weeks in Hawaii we’d gone on to my favorite city in the world for another two. I’m pleased to report that Sarah appreciated the ambience of Paris as much as I did, but the phone call really put a damper on the residual good mood.
“Dafydd, we identified another one. Janet Brooman, a young prairie dog – looks like she’s been here a couple of years. We discovered her identity through dentals and DNA.”
“No worries. When do you need me in the air?”
“First flight you can get to Denver, my friend. Her parents live a little drive from there, over an hour, some place called Prairie Flats.”
“No worries, I’ll be there tomorrow.”
“Book a car that can take a few miles, Bud. That community is a little ways out.”
“Who’s my local contact?”
“Local PD, a Sergeant named Thornton.”
“Ok, I’ll find him. And I’ll do my best to give her mom the closure she needs.
--------------------------------------------
Tell ya, finding this “Prairie Flats” place was a challenge to the GPS. I found myself parked outside the local PD wondering how much I was going to tell them.
There was nothing for it, I crawled out of the car and walked in the front door.
“Sergeant Thornton, Please?”
“Just a second, Sir, I’ll see if he’s available.”
He was. His muzzle looked like shit when I told him about my deal with the feds. I’d almost think he didn’t trust me. We agreed to meet at the Brooman place next morning. In a small town like this, two cars pulling up had to be visible. His was known and that made it worse. We walked up the driveway and he knocked on the door.
“Janice Brooman?”
“Yes Officer.”
“I’m sorry, but the Minneapolis PD have recovered a body they believe to be Janet.”
She folded like Marie Willis had - I pretty much expected that - I mean, what mother wants to hear that she has to bury her child? I was ready for it and caught her. I ignored the bubbling of the local cop and carried her into her house and laid her on her couch. It was only a couple of minutes until she started coming to.
“wha… “
“Mrs. Brooman, we just gave you very bad news and you fainted.”
“My baby?”
“She’s gone. I’m sorry. Officer Thornton here can give you the official version. I was involved in taking down the asshole responsible and can give you an unofficial version. You have to hear his first. Sorry.”
--------------------------
She broke in the first couple of minutes. Simply couldn’t handle the hell her daughter had been through. I wasn’t objecting, it was natural, but there was one thing I could give her.
“Sergeant, can you step out for a moment? There’s one thing I need to tell Mrs. Brooman in private.”
I waited until the local cop was well out of earshot.
“I personally took those lowlives down, Mrs. Brooman. They will never hurt anyone ever again. I don’t think you want to know how we made certain of that, my wife and I. They are gone.”
She collapsed in my arms, sobbing like she was going to cough up her heart. I called sergeant Thornton back in to get the number and take care of her, then called her husband.
“Mr. Brooman?”
“Yes?”
“I’m at your home with an officer from PFPD, Mr. Brooman, I just gave your wife some very unpleasant news. I think you need to come home take care of her, sir.”
He was home really fast.
“What the fuck is going on here? What did you do to her?”
“I told her what happened to the shit that killed your daughter. I was there and I’d have put a round in his head myself if he hadn’t decided to eat his own gun. That doesn’t mean jack right now. Right now, your family does and you need to be here for your wife and for your daughter. She’s on her way home so you can lay her to a better rest than he gave her.”
He wilted like he was a plant without water.
“I’ve been afraid of getting this news for two years. Do you know who took her? Are there any others involved?”
“Some I know about. My wife and I took down pretty much the entire operation.”
He got a look in his eyes I was more used to seeing on a ferret than a prairie dog.
“Did you leave any alive?”
“No.”
“Good.”
That got a reaction from Sergeant Thornton.
“Hey now, Lamar, You know it’s not supposed to work that way....”
“I don’t fucking care. Ever since she was taken I’ve wanted either Janet to come home or to know the guys that did this were dead so they couldn’t snatch any more kids.”
“We weren’t fast enough for that I’m afraid. I was chasing another missing little girl and didn’t get there in time. When we started finding others I asked to come along every time we identified one so that I could personally tell their parents it was over and the people responsible were dead and wouldn’t be doing this anymore.”
He stuck out his paw and I took it in mine.
“Thank you. I’m sorry, but could you leave us alone for a while? Can I call you later to talk about it if I need to?”
“Sure. Here’s my card, it’s got my cell number on it. I’ll be in town a few days. If you don’t mind I’d be honored to attend your daughter’s memorial - but if you’d prefer not I would understand. I just feel a kind of responsibility to see all this guy’s victims taken care of.”
We took our leave quietly. As we walked down the steps I looked over at Sergeant Thornton.
“So, Sarge, where’s a decent place to stay in this town? I meant what I said in there, I intend to stick around until they can make arrangements and lay their little girl to rest.”
“Best Western, about a half mile East of the station, reasonable and you shouldn't be bothered there. Guys that run the desk tend to mind their own business,” the sergeant replied.
I followed Sergeant Thornton’s directions and checked in. Nice place.I wasn’t sure how long I’d be staying but the room was comfortable, the bar downstairs was decent and, as I found out the following morning, they served pretty good breakfasts too. I took a walk around the town the following morning, almost expecting my cell to ring but it didn’t. The place I was staying was near a local park and I took my time wandering through it, reflecting on things. I watched the kids playing on the swings and jungle gym for a while but I got too many nasty looks from the local moms – hardly surprising, scarred muzzle and notched ear, I must have looked like every small town’s stereotype of a predator so I moved on. I was down by the lake when I picked up a scent I’d learned the day before.
“Good morning Sergeant.”
“So much for just walking up beside you.”
“I’m a genetic anomaly, Sarge. If you walk up on me from upwind I can smell you as well as our feral ancestors can. You don’t wanna be in my neighborhood if I let the predator instincts light off. The military career helped me control ‘em”
“You scared a few moms down by the swings, they called in your description.”
“I guess they didn’t mention the suit and the RN tie which might give a plausible reason for the scarring. Thankfully it doesn’t bother my wife, she’s ex-military too and has a few of her own. We’re planning on adopting a cub or two, I was watching ‘em and wondering how it would feel to be there as a dad and not an outsider.”
“You’ll freak. You watch ‘em pull stuff that makes you want to dive over there and snatch ‘em from the jaws of death but you know you can’t because that would make ‘em look bad to their friends.”
“Didn’t look too bad to me, none of ‘em were pulling stuff I didn’t at that age.”
“It’s different when they are yours. Trust me, I got two and they scare the shit out of me every day.”
“I’ll take your word for it, Sarge.”
“Let’s wander back and reassure a few ladies.”
--------------------------------
I got the call I was expecting that afternoon, but not from who I was expecting it from.
“Owen.”
“Mr. Owen? This is Raquel Daniels… I received your number from a local officer that I know well and trust, they say you’re very good at finding people…”
I knew that tone of voice. Whoever she was, she was right on the edge. For a moment I debated blowing her off but she was as desperate as the Broomans had been. I couldn’t turn her down.
“Ms. Daniels… I am in town on other business, but I think I might be able to help you. Where would be a good time and place to meet so we can discuss it? I’m staying at the Best Western downtown.” “I will be in Prairie Flats around five this evening, there is a place near there , Smiling Jack’s Bar and Grill. Not usually my type of place… but today it would be fine… would say, six thirty work for you Mr. Owen?”
“I’ll be there at six thirty. I saw it when I was walking around this morning. Dinner is on me and you can tell me what you need so I can tell you if I can do anything about it.”
-----------------------------------
Smiling Jacks was your pretty typical small town bar with decent food. I got there early, watched the place for a while and then walked in and sucked down a couple of beers while wondering what I was about to get myself into. I’d slipped the greeter a pretty hefty tip to make sure anyone by the name of Daniels or asking for Owen would be discretely shown to my booth.
That had to be her. A tall moose lady looking like she hadn’t slept in a couple days - red eyes, a set in the face like she was steeling herself to do something, but she had taken the time to do her hair and try and conceal how frantic she was with a little makeup and a smart dress. Too bad you can’t change your eyes, lass. They still show it if you know what to look for. Yep, there we go. They are bringing her over here.
“Ms. Daniels. Take a seat. I want you to relax and just stop worrying for a while. We can then talk about why you might need my services. May I offer you a drink to just relax over?”
“Thank you Mr. Owen, I don’t usually drink… “ she began before letting out a long heavy sigh. “Scotch on the rocks… hold the rocks, please,” the moose woman said trying to hide the shaking of her paws.
“The rocks only destroy decent Scotch anyway. If you will allow me? I scoped out the bottles behind the bar earlier... “ I lifted my paw and the waitress, with the instinct common to all in her line of work, was at our side in an instant. “Two Laphroaig, straight up, and a jug of water please.” I smiled over at the moose “This is a very peaty single malt, a tiny splash of water in it opens up the flavors - if you’re not familiar with it you’re probably going to want that.” She looked confused. That was fine by me, I wanted to see what other cues came through her body language.
My god, she was tense. She looked about ready to charge and trample the entire town. I’m guessing the Scotch was a good idea. She stopped fidgeting after a few sips and I looked up from my menu and caught her eye.
“So, Ms. Daniels…”
“Raquel, please… “
“Dafydd. You have somebody missing and you want me to find them.”
“Yes… my husband, Arnold. Things have been a little… strained the last few months. We’ve grown apart somewhat ever since our family vacation. But he’s never… he’s never even stayed away from the house for more than a day since we married. He was home, in his office when I left for work .. and gone when I came home. At first I didn’t think anything of it, I assumed he had gone to his primary office to see a patient or something. But when he didn’t return by dinner time, or call to tell me he would be running late, I began to worry a little. I called his office but there was no answer, I tried his cell phone and couldn’t reach him that way either.”
“Ok, Raquel - I get the picture. I have a couple of questions which may be distasteful, but I do have to ask them. First one is this: Do you have any reason to suspect your husband might be seeing another woman?”
“None at all,” Raquel answered flatly.
“Good. That simplifies things. Now the second distasteful question… Am I looking for him to bring him home or to deliver retribution? It changes the parameters I follow in the investigation.”
“To bring him home if at all possible Dafydd, we have our problems and things seemed to be getting worse. But I don’t understand how he could just disappear when our oldest son and his wife are expecting our first grandchildren. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Ok. That’s something I can work with. Let’s order some food and over dinner you can tell me everything about him - his work, his life outside work and his kids. You wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve heard that made guys bolt. Anything you can tell me matters. However, the immediate concern is food. I’m taking the ribeye. What’s your preference?”
-------------------------------------
Over dinner I learned about the Daniels family and their recent troubles. Their daughter was well out of it on the east coast, the twin sons couldn’t be further apart with one settled in ready to raise his kids with a nice girl and the other one in the looney bin having suffered some kind of breakdown. That on its own was suspicious, because Arnold, my target, was a specialist in juvenile psych. Couldn’t he have seen this kinda shit building for his own kids? I was thinking the bull moose bolted on his own, which would make him hard to find - but if he did he’d have to find some means of support and all he has to do that with is his psych qualification. If I can’t trace that then maybe I’ll start thinking about an abduction.
----------------------------------------
Fuck. I needed help on this one. There was just too much that smelled wrong.
“Sarah? I picked up a case down here and I need help.”
“You’re like a tomcat that can’t resist fucking anything in season. Put a juicy case in front of you and you’re on it like a lion on a gazelle. What help do you need?”
“You, Honey. And our tactical kit. Are you up for towing the camper down here solo?”
“You know it. I’ll load up and be on the road tomorrow.”
----------------------------------------
Sitting there in my hotel room, I pulled my jacket off and stared in the mirror for a second. Something really smelled here, there was something just not quite right about Arnold Daniels disappearing. I’d had Jason searching all over the country for a Dr Daniels turning up working anywhere, no luck. His office hadn’t had the barest hint, or at least any that they were willing to share. As far as they were willing to say he just failed to turn up one morning.
I rummaged in my bags and pulled out my holsters, settling them in place before I pulled my jacket back on. I’d not expected to need them, because I wasn’t expecting to be really working down here but I never traveled without my sidearms. I grabbed the case, unlocked it and checked both guns. Satisfied, I pulled one loaded mag from the case slid it into the grip of each one in turn, racking the action to put a round up the spout before replacing it with a fresh fully loaded mag.
Two spare rounds into the mag I’d used to prime the pump, the fourth fully loaded one out of the case and I was able to settle both guns and my reloads into their proper places under my jacket. Ok, now I was properly dressed for work.
I had asked Mrs. Daniels to leave his office untouched until I could look it over. She had told me she never tidied up in there anyway, left it to him because of the number of confidential documents he kept in there. It was time for my second meeting with the remarkable Mrs. Daniels.
Pulling up to the front of the house, I took a moment to look around. Nice neighborhood. You wouldn’t believe how much fucked up shit went down in nice neighborhoods. At least in downtown gang territory the bad shit was honest bad shit. Personally I tended to think that the nicer the place it happened in the more I worried that a case would leave me doing a Lady Macbeth on my paws.
I strolled up the driveway and knocked on the door. It opened a few seconds later. I wasn’t expecting to see it opened by a puma lass in her twenties.
“Mr Owen? Mrs. Daniels told me to expect you and to give you her apologies. She got called into work unexpectedly. Told me to show you Mr. Daniels’ office and leave you alone, but I’ve just made a pot of tea, would you like some?”
“That would be wonderful, Miss…. “
“Lawson, but call me Holly, ‘Miss Lawson’ still reminds me of an annoyed professor.”
As the door shut behind me I looked down at the young lady.
“Then I insist you call me Dafydd. Tell me, Holly, you work here, right?”
“Yes, three days a week. Normally I wouldn’t be here today but Mrs. Daniels called me when she had to go to work and she didn’t want to put off your visit. She’ll be back around 4.”
“Were you here before Mr. Daniels disappeared?”
“No. Mrs. Daniels hired me after that.”
Pity. A second viewpoint on the guy might have been useful. His office didn’t look much different from mine, with the exception of no gun cabinet in the corner. Psychologists probably didn’t need to pack heat as part of their everyday business. Papers on the desk, couple of filing cabinets, a pretty high-end computer and a bookshelf full of various learned tomes on the not-so-noble art of head-shrinking. I closed the door, set my tea cup on the desk and then just looked around for anything that seemed out of place.
Nothing. No voids in the desk clutter where something might have been removed, no indication that the guy I was looking for hadn’t simply stood up from his desk and walked out. The dust in the place hadn’t been disturbed at all, no sign that anyone had been in here since Arnold fell off the face of the earth. Something about this was really making me itch. Normally it’s pretty easy to track down skipped husbands, but if this guy had skipped of his own accord he’d dug a hole, climbed in and then filled it up after him. I stared down at my hindpaws and that’s when I saw it.
A single moose bristle, right by the door. It lay there like it might have fallen out of between the door and its frame when I opened it. It had dust on top of it though, so it had been there a while. Call me paranoid if you want but I was immediately thinking about a door tell-tale. You trap a bristle between the door and its frame, only sticking out far enough for your fingertips to feel it. If you come back and can’t feel it then somebody else has been in while you were away. If that’s what I was looking at it raised two questions. What the hell was Arnold Daniels into that made him resort to that kind of tradecraft, and who had been in here after he left? Probably Raquel, looking to check on him, but possibly somebody else too. Whoever it had been, they either didn’t know about the tell-tale or didn’t care.
I reached into my pocket for a pair of gloves and started working my way around clockwise from the door.
It was a frustrating search. I found nothing to indicate this was anything other than a professional guys office. As I passed the desk I flipped the power on for the computer. He’d probably wiped it if he knew he was leaving but it was worth a try. I made it back to the door without finding anything untoward. Filing cabinets next. Locked, as I expected.
I reached into my pocket and unrolled my set of lockpicks on the desk. Selecting a couple of likely tools I leaned in to deal with the cabinet locks. What. The. Fuck?
I wasn’t the first guy to have picked those locks. Both cabinets had scratches on the locks that lined up perfectly with the tools I was using. That pretty much guaranteed that there was nothing inside that I’d need but I persevered anyway. All I discovered was file after file on one disturbed kid after another. The desk was next. None of the drawers were locked and none of them contained anything worth mentioning, until I lifted the hanging files out of the lowest drawer and a single .45 round rolled into view. Raquel had told me her husband didn’t own a gun other than a side-by-side 12-gauge which he occasionally went after wildfowl with, and that was accounted for. You don’t fire .45ACP out of anything but a handgun. What the hell was on the other side of this guys life that he didn’t share with his family?
The computer was a bust. The thing wouldn’t even boot. I stripped off the case and found the drives still in place. I unplugged ‘em and tucked them in my pocket. Let’s see what a decent data forensics team can recover. It was when I started sliding the case back on that I heard something fall and rattle inside the computer. When I found what it was that was when I was sure that there was more to Arnold Daniels than met the eye.
Magnetically attached to the inside of his computer case was one of the most sophisticated bugs I’d ever seen. Normally an audio bug inside a computer case would have been useless because of the white noise from the fans. This thing used the sheet metal of the computer case as an audio pickup. Once detached it was silent, but while it was there it would have picked up every word spoken at that desk. Pretty much on cue, I heard two women talking outside the door. Checking my watch I found it to be just after 4. I opened the door and stepped through. Sure enough there was Mrs. Daniels, passing Holly a bunch of cash. As soon as Holly was out of the door I held a finger to my muzzle, cueing her to be quiet, then pointed out the door. She blinked and then followed me.
“Raquel, your husband's office was bugged. I found one, without better gear I can’t sweep it more thoroughly and I’ve no idea if there are others elsewhere in your house. I also found this…” I held up the .45 round I’d discovered in the desk. “I thought Arnold never owned a handgun?”
“He always told me he hated the things.”
“Raquel, I’m sorry to say this but it seems to me that there was a lot more to Arnold than he showed to you. I still have no idea whether he left of his own accord or not, but I’m thinking that there’s a significant amount of evidence that either way, he was walking into trouble.”
In silence I walked back into Arnold’s office, pulling the hanging files out of his cabinets, intending to return them to his employer. Under them was a single page of spoiled printout, smudged toner everywhere. All I could read was “The dimorphism between the response of subject 1 and subject 2 concerns me. Their stimuli were equivalent in intensity…” That didn’t sound like regular psych notes, it sounded like an experiment and nowhere else in his files had I found notes talking about two furs at the same time. to be continued...
