Icy Betrayal (9 page)

“Well, I know what I’d do. That’s all I’m going to say about it. I know you’ll do what’s right for you. Just know I love you and want you to be happy.”

Mia hugged him tightly. “I love you too, Dad. And I know how much you miss Mom. I miss her, too.”

“I know, Mia, I know,” Chuck said, as tears welled up in his eyes.

SIXTEEN

M
ia set out to make her peace with Keller. He was probably still pissed about her “going solo” to Big Pine, but she had every reason to check out the lead. The sooner they talked about it and resolved any bad blood, the better.

“Good morning, Jack, how you doing?”

“Hey, Mia, doing okay. What’s up?”

Mia took a seat across from Keller’s desk.

“I want to apologize for going up to Big Pine the other day. I should have at least told you or waited till you were back so we could make the trip together. I didn’t want to lose momentum, I think we both know Sullivan’s story isn’t adding up.”

Jack responded, “Look, Mia, we are a team, a partnership, and neither of us should be doing anything without the full knowledge of the other. If you have a theory or a possible motive in the case, then you should share it with me, and we should work together on it. If that’s a problem for you, then we should talk to the captain and see if something else can be worked out.”

Keller’s reaction still seemed over the top, but Mia took the high road. “Okay, Jack, I will be sure to keep you posted and share anything I get.”

“I’d appreciate it. Now, tell me what you learned in Big Pine.”

“I started wondering about Sullivan after she seemed nervous when I asked her about her sister at her apartment the other day. So I did a bunch of Google searches, checked Facebook, the works. I couldn’t find anything on a sister. Of course, you have the issue of maiden names and such, so I went up to Big Pine and asked around at the local post office. I didn’t tell anyone I was investigating the case, I just said I was in town and was hoping to reconnect with my old friend.”

Keller interrupted. “Did you use your real name?”

“No, of course not.” Mia responded, perturbed. She was new at working homicide cases, but she wasn’t an idiot.

“So, what did you learn? Does she have a sister?”

“Not that I could find. The clerk at the post office, who has worked there for thirty-five years and no doubt knows everyone in town, said there was only one person named Sullivan that she could recall and they’re long gone. Besides, he didn’t fit at all.”

Keller shook his head dismissively. “Well, I’m not sure that means much, given the maiden name issue. There are lots of possible scenarios, and I don’t think we can conclude anything about her having or not having a sister up there based on the memory of some Big Pine postal clerk.”

Mia was irked. She had come up with a bona fide lead and he was dismissing it as nothing.

Jack continued, “And even if there is no sister and Sullivan is lying to us about that, remember there are lots of reasons people lie about things, but not all lies point to a homicide. Who knows, she could have been driving out there to score some dope for all we know. I’m just saying we can’t jump to any conclusions at this point. I’m not saying we don’t pursue it, I’m just saying let’s move slowly on this. We still think Lennox is behind the murder.”

“Yeah, I understand what you are saying. But my money is still on Sullivan being involved somehow. That concert ticket on her refrigerator meant something to her. Trust me, it’s a clue that ties her to Lennox.”

“Sure, it’s possible I guess. My buddy with the ticket agency is checking on it. But Red Rocks holds what, nine or ten thousand people? She and Lennox both went that night, that much we know. I’ll tell you what—I have an old friend up in Big Pine. I worked with him in St. Louis; he retired right before I did, and he moved out here. Let me check with him to see if he can do some snooping around about a sister for Sullivan. I’m sure he’d do that for me if I asked him. Sound okay?”

“Sure, Jack.”

“See, Mia, this is how partners work together. I could have saved you a trip up there yesterday. My old buddy can do the legwork on this. We’ll focus on Lennox for now.”

“Okay,” Mia replied. She took her cue and left the bullpen.

Keller leaned back in his chair. There was no friend in Big Pine, but hopefully it would get Mia off the sister angle. He needed to think very carefully about his next steps in the George Lombard investigation. His daughter’s future was in his hands, and he wasn’t going to let her down this time. And he could see that Mia Serrano was going to be a big pain in his ass.

Mia considered the change in Keller. He was acting strangely; definitely different than when they first started working the Lombard case together. Maybe he’d started drinking again, she thought. That would explain the day off with no notice.

Mick’s text broke her train of thought. “C me when u can re: Lombard Case.”

She headed to the captain’s office, and found him studying a requisition spreadsheet.

“Have a seat. I just got off the phone with the sheriff. He asked about the Lombard case… Anything new?”

“Well, sort of. When Keller took his vacation day, I took the opportunity to pursue some things.”

“Like what?”

“When Jack and I dropped in on Lisa Sullivan the other day, I asked her about her sister. The morning of the accident she told me her sister was going through a tough time, and she was headed to Big Pine to visit her. That’s why she was out there that morning. So when I asked her how her sister was doing she just gave me some half-ass answer. I got the distinct impression she was caught in a lie and there was likely no sister in Big Pine. Which begs the question: what was she really doing out there that morning, and why would she lie to me about it?”

“So what did you do?”

“I ventured out on my own, that’s what I did.”

Mia ran down her visit to Big Pine and her efforts in trying to locate a sister, adding how Keller was none too happy about her making the trip without him.

“He was genuinely pissed that I did this while he was on a day off. Said we were partners and that we need to work together and share each other’s thoughts and theories about the case… It was weird. Almost like something has changed with him.”

The captain understood. “Listen, Mia, keep in mind Keller is used to running the show. He’s not used to having partners doing stuff on their own in an investigation that he’s involved in. I’m not condoning his actions or saying he’s right, but just keep that in mind.”

“I know all that. Or at least I do now. He reamed me pretty good.”

Mick chuckled.

“I’d like to get together with you and Jack later today to go over the case. Would that work for you?”

“Sure, I can make that work. Want me to tell Keller?”

“No, I’ll call him. Better coming from me than you. Don’t want him thinking you’re bossing him around.”

Mia laughed softly and shook her head.

“No, we can’t have that.”

Mick sent off a quick email requesting a three o’clock meeting to review the “murder book.” Keller had taken on the task of putting the book together when he had been assigned to the case. It contained all the pertinent information—all compiled into one large oversized binder. Common in nearly all police agencies, the “murder book” allows for all information to be kept in one place relative to a specific homicide. It was an excellent investigative tool and also served a valuable purpose in preparing a case for court once an arrest had been made.

At three o’clock, Mick, Mia, and Keller arrived at the investigations division conference room and took seats around the table. Keller put the murder book on the large wooden table between them.

“Jack, can you start off by going over what we’ve got so far?”

“Sure, Captain.”

Keller opened the book and started by explaining the initial 911 call, the response by deputies to the accident, and Mia’s on-scene investigation and interview of Lisa Sullivan. From there he moved on to the autopsy, describing the findings by the medical examiner and how they were in direct conflict with what was originally believed by investigators handling the incident that morning.

Specifically, Keller highlighted the very low body temperature, lividity inconsistent with the body’s position, and the glass found in his scalp. He referred to the medical examiner’s findings of terminal cancer. He moved on to the rifle found at the scene, noting it wasn’t a weapon that an experienced hunter like Lombard would use to hunt deer. Further, the ammo didn’t match the weapon—another mistake an experienced hunter would never make. Next, he talked about the $2 million insurance policy, which listed Scott Lennox as the sole beneficiary. He concluded with highlights from the interviews with Lennox and Sullivan.

Mia detailed the discovery of the concert ticket and the possibility it could be a link between Lennox and Sullivan. “There’s something going on with those two, believe me,” she added.

“So, Mia, you believe that Lennox and Sullivan know each other and are both connected to this case. And I think all of us agree this was no accident and is most certainly a homicide, correct?” the captain asked.

Both Mia and Keller nodded their agreement, but Keller spoke up.

“It’s no accident. Lennox no doubt is behind it, he’s got a $2 million motive. Maybe Sullivan is involved too, I don’t know. But the evidence on her is flimsy. Any good defense attorney could have her off the hook in a New York minute.”

Mia didn’t hold back. “Jack, you were with me when we interviewed her at her apartment. You saw the look on her face when I asked her about her sister. You saw the concert ticket on her refrigerator. I know it’s circumstantial, but the evidence seems pretty convincing to me. I don’t know exactly how it went down, but I really believe they are in this together, and it’s very likely they are involved romantically.”

“Well, if that’s the case, we need to find some proof,” added Mick.

Mia continued, “We can try to get a search warrant but that would tip them off. Right now, they think we’re considering this an accident and nothing more. But if we don’t do something, this thing will die on the vine.”

“It’s not likely we can even get a warrant based on what we have now,” Keller replied, adding, “even if we could and it shows there’s a relationship between the two, it doesn’t prove anything. They’ll both lawyer up, and we’re screwed.”

Mia refused to back down. “They’re amateurs. They’ll trip up, Jack. My bet is that Sullivan will crack first. She’s probably not the one who cooked this whole thing up. I’m guessing this was all Lennox’s idea.”

“Lennox is up to his eyeballs in this without a doubt; it just seems a stretch that Sullivan is involved,” Keller explained. “There’s a distinct likelihood that when she hit Lombard that morning, he was already dead, and last time I checked, hitting a dead guy with your car is not a fucking crime.”

A big part of Mick McCallister’s job was protecting his boss, and Jack Keller knew it. “We’ve got to step very carefully here. If we don’t play this just right, we could create one hell of a shit storm for the sheriff.”

“Okay, okay,” Mick said. “Maybe a search warrant isn’t the best approach right now, but we might be able to get authorization for a wiretap. We tap Lennox and Sullivan’s phones for any communication between them. We can do it covertly and they are none the wiser, that’s a big advantage over a warrant.”

“A wiretap is getting harder and harder to get these days. Good luck with that, Captain,” Keller said.