Remembering Dresden (Jack Turner Suspense Series Book 2) (23 page)

“What’s that?” Boyd said.

She looked at Jack. “Want me to tell them, or would you like to?”

“You go ahead.”

Rachel flipped to the page where the killer mentions his son’s name and read the paragraph aloud.

“Ernst Hausen,” Hank said after. “Who’s that?”

“Sounds like this whole theory just fell apart,” Boyd said. “If the son’s last name is Hausen, then it must be the father’s last name, too. Which means it’s not Wagner. Which means this thing was written by somebody other than the Senator’s father.”

“Not exactly,” Jack said. “It could mean that, but we think it could also be the evidence we need that proves both the Senator and his father are totally involved.”

“How so?” Hank said.

“We think the Wagner’s changed their name. We think their real last name
is
Hausen, and that Ernst is actually Burke Wagner.”

“Guys,” Hank said, “I think you’re really reaching here.”

“We’re really not,” Rachel said. She reminded them about old man Wagner’s admission to being part of the East German Stasi and, for Hank’s sake, explained who they were and why it mattered. “So see, he would have a high degree of motivation to change his name after moving to the states.”

“She makes a good point, Hank,” Boyd said.

“But what if they’re wrong?” Hank said.

“If we’re wrong, we’re wrong,” Jack said. “Then this whole thing really does fall apart, and we’re prepared to accept that. But this name-change thing is something that can be proved or disproved legally. I’m thinking with Burke Wagner seeking admission to a university like Culpepper and having strong political ambitions, he would’ve wanted to change his name legally. I don’t know where to look for that kind of information, but I’m guessing you can find out definitively if someone legally changed their name.”

“You can,” Boyd said. “All you really need is the county they were living in when they requested the name change. It would be part of the county record. You know if that’s here?”

“We don’t,” Rachel said. “But that would be easy enough to find out. After translating this part of the journal, I got curious and went on Senator Wagner’s website. I don’t remember which city it is now, but I remember reading his biography page. It definitely mentioned the city they first moved to when they came to the United States.”

“Well, there you go,” Boyd said. “Figure that one out, and we’ll know once and for all who wrote this journal, and whether Senator Burke has any personal involvement in this case.”

“And if we find out that the Wagner’s last name is really Hausen?” Rachel asked. “Will you guys be willing to pursue this case?”

“Definitely,” Boyd said. “It’s still a totally circumstantial case, but that might just be the smoking gun a DA would be looking for. I can’t guarantee he would take the case, but I would certainly be willing to go to bat for it if you guys can confirm this.”

“And we’d probably need to get the FBI involved, too,” Hank said, “since all the murders took place in different states.”

Jack and Rachel looked at each other, smiled. Jack stood, so Rachel did, too. “Great. Then we’ll go find that out and get back to you when we have the proof, regardless of where it takes us. Thank you for your time, gentlemen.”

They shook hands. Jack gathered up the materials, and they turned to leave.

Officer Tony Campbell was sure Vandergraf would want an update on what he’d just observed. Whatever was going on with this history professor, things seemed to be heating up.

He got up and walked over toward the receptionist. “That was that history professor who’s been in here the last few days, wasn’t it?”

“It was,” she said.

“You know who that lady was with him?”

“I think it was his girlfriend. I didn’t see a ring, but they were holding hands and they looked at each other like people do when they’re in love. Anything else you want to know? I could tell you the color of their eyes.”

“No, that’s plenty. Thank you.” He knew she had been taking some night courses at the college on criminal justice, trying to improve her chances for a promotion.

“Why do you care anyway?” she asked.

“Just curious. You know, nothing ever happens around here. But that’s the third time he’s been in here this week, now bringing his girlfriend.”

“Well, I’m afraid I can’t scratch your curiosity itch any further. I have no idea what’s going on.”

He pulled out his pack of cigarettes. “I’m gonna go grab a smoke.”

“Those things are gonna kill you.”

“I’m counting on it.” He smiled and headed for the side door.

Once outside, he lit up and got a call started to Vandergraf on his private cell.

“Officer Campbell,” Vandergraf said. “Nothing from you in weeks. Now you’re calling me all the time.”

“I know. But something definitely seems to be heating up over here.”

“You mean with that history professor?”

“Yeah, Jack Turner. He was here again to see Sergeant Boyd and Hank Jensen. They just left, he and his girlfriend.”

“His girlfriend?”

“Yeah. But I don’t know her name.”

“Were you in on this meeting with your Sergeant?”

“No, he doesn’t consult me very much. But I picked up some information before the meeting started. Some stuff I think you will care about.”

There was a pause. “Okay, what is it?” Vandergraf sounded serious all of a sudden.

“A few minutes before they came, the sergeant came out to Hank Jensen’s desk. He’s the cop that works with Boyd the most. Unfortunately, I was on the phone with someone and couldn’t hear everything they said. But I did hear him mention that Turner was coming here any minute, and something about this girl having translated some journal.”

“A journal?”

“At least, that’s what it sounded like. I think they were coming in to discuss some things they’d discovered in it. Then a few minutes later, Turner and this attractive brunette walk in. I looked and noticed she was carrying two things. That old raggedy notebook Turner had brought in with him the other day when he was here alone, and a little worn-out-looking leather book that looked very much like a journal. Jensen met them and brought them back to Boyd’s office. I waited a minute then went to refill my coffee. The pot’s within earshot of Boyd’s office. But this time they closed the door.”

“So you have no idea what they were talking about?”

“I wouldn’t say, no idea. I think they were discussing whatever was in that journal, which she must have translated. Although I have no idea from what into what.”

“What was everyone’s demeanor after the meeting ended?” Vandergraf said. “Last time, you said it was obvious that Turner looked frustrated and you said the officers seemed to be discouraging him from pursuing this…whatever this is.”

“Well, that wasn’t their demeanor this time. Everyone was shaking hands and all smiles.”

Another long pause. “Really?”

“Really,” Campbell said. “Before they headed out the front door, I heard Turner say to Hank something like,
we’ll dig up that information real soon and get back with you
. Hank said something like,
you do that
. You have any idea what this is all about?”

Once again, a pause. “I might,” Vandergraf said. “But I can’t be sure just yet. In any case, thanks for calling promptly. You’re definitely earning your keep lately.”

“I’m trying.”

“By all means, continue to call me if anything else develops. Anything at all.”

“I will.”

Vandergraf set his cell phone down on his desk. He spent the next few minutes pacing back and forth. This new information, coupled with what had already transpired, caused him great concern. He wished the Senator had given him a fuller understanding of what had occurred between him and his dead father, the shadowy history that the Senator wanted to keep hidden at all costs. Then he would know exactly how to proceed. Without that information, he was afraid to act at all on his own initiative.

He paced back and forth some more. It seemed he had no other alternative.

He would have to call the Senator and brief him on these new developments.

After escorting Jack and Rachel toward the lobby, Hank returned to Boyd’s office and took a seat.

“If you want to chat more about the reason they were in here,” Boyd said, “close the door. This thing with the Senator, if this is real we need to tread very carefully. He’s become quite a powerful man in a fairly short period of time.”

Hank pushed it till it latched. “I don’t trust him.”

“You mean Jack or the Senator?”

“The Senator. I didn’t trust him before Jack stirred all this up. He seems like a total phony to me. Every time I hear him on TV, I find myself not believing a thing he says.”

“So it’s not hard for you to believe this could be true?”

Hank took a seat. “Not at all. It still might be the craziest story I’ve ever heard. This time, though, it felt a little more real, thinking through all the things they dug out of that journal. Add them all together, combine them with that scrapbook of obituaries…I’m thinking there really could be something to this.”

Boyd leaned forward on his desk. “We might really have to act on this, they come back with proof of that name change.”

“Are we going to have a problem,” Hank said, “with this stuff Jack found being admitted into evidence? I mean, he’s just renting that cabin. And it’s not like the owner gave him permission to bring that stuff to us. Couldn’t that get everything thrown out?”

“I’ve been thinking about that. We might be in the clear here. We didn’t come by this information through any illegal search or seizure. It came to us independent of any effort on our part. Jack being in that cabin as a renter gives him a legal right to be there. He found the information, recognized that it involved criminal activity, so he did his civic duty and brought it to the police. Don’t you think? You know, see something, say something. This isn’t terrorist-related, but same idea.”

“Yeah, that sounds right to me,” Hank said. “Still think there might be a problem if it comes out that he found it hidden under the floorboards in a locked safe.”

Boyd had thought about that. “You could be right. But it’s not like Jack broke into the safe. The key was right there on the premises.” That part still was a little sticky. “We’ll just let the DA decide what to do about that one.”

“He might just tell Jack not to volunteer the part about the safe,” Hank said.

“Could be. Or, he could just say the best part of this case belongs to the FBI and not want to even deal with the Senator’s involvement, since he was a college kid when it all went down.”

“In any event,” Hank said as he stood, “I have a feeling Jack will be back pretty soon with the proof about the name change, if there is any. He’s gonna stay on this till it’s solved, one way or the other. My gut tells me this really is going to turn out to be just the way Jack and Rachel said.”

“I think so, too,” Boyd said. “That happens, then this thing could suddenly grow from nothing to huge in a couple of days. Because of that, let’s keep this between us for now.”

“Agreed. Well,” Hank said. “Better get back to my paperwork.”

After he left, Boyd thought about the last thing they’d talked about. He picked up his phone and called Jack’s cell.

Jack picked up pretty quick. “Hey Joe, what’s up? I’m just in town here grabbing something to eat with Rachel before I head back to the cabin.”

“I was just thinking about something. Hank and me been going over this thing since you left. You guys get the confirmation on that name change, and this thing could become something big pretty quick. For that reason, we’re both thinking you and Rachel should probably not talk about this to anybody but us. The Senator’s a pretty popular guy around here with a pretty good reach, you follow me?”

“I do,” Jack said. “I think that’s wise advice.”

“What’s wise advice?” Rachel asked.

Jack really didn’t want to say. They picked up their food and walked back to the table. “That was Joe.”

“I figured that. What was he calling about?”

“I guess he and Hank were pretty impressed with your work, translating that journal, and the conclusions we came to. He’s talking like this might be for real.”

“Why, what did he say?”

Jack paused. How should he respond to this question? He knew her well enough by now to know she would worry, big time, if he simply told her what Boyd said. Especially after everything they went through last year. But he also knew it would be much worse if he lied to her. Maybe there was a way to say it without raising any red flags. “He just said if it turned out that we found proof of the name change, we should just bring that info back to either him or Hank.”

“Why would he call you to say that? That sounds pretty obvious.”

Okay, he needed to say more. “I guess he meant Culpepper is such a small town, and the Senator’s kind of a big deal. I guess he doesn’t want this info showing up in the news, which could happen if we talked about it to other people.”

“I can see that,” she said. “I don’t have a problem with that.”

“I guess media attention could make it hard for them to do their investigation.” Which was true, although it wasn’t what Joe had said. Jack was pretty sure the message behind the Sergeant’s warning wasn’t aimed at keeping the media away from the case, although he was sure that was true.

Sergeant Boyd didn’t want the Senator to get wind of this for Jack and Rachel’s sake.

But why? Did he think they were in any danger?

When Jack and Rachel had finished eating and the waitress had cleared the table, Rachel pulled out her iPad. “This place has free Wi-Fi.” She began tapping and swiping the screen. “Why don’t we do a little research before you head back to the cabin?”

“I’m for anything that keeps you with me longer,” Jack said. “What are you looking up?”

“Senator Wagner’s bio info. The Sergeant said if we knew the county Wagner applied to for his name change, we could contact them and find out his real name. That part of his story is on his website.” A few more taps and swipes. “Here it is.” Another tap.