Thaw (Detective Ellie MacIntosh) (4 page)

You couldn’t find it, could you? You looked, you took her purse, but you couldn’t find the cell phone and you had to get the hell out of there, so
…
I can see it all in my head, you bastard
.

The question shook him. He added angrily, “Borrowed one from a friend, I guess. They go shopping, out to do stuff. Now, I’ve got some groceries in the back of the truck to put in the house if you don’t mind.”

The sound of a car coming along the road was welcome. The deputy, finally.

“I do mind,” Ellie said but he ignored her and reached into the bed of the truck anyway.

A sense of warning flickered through her and she reached for her weapon, even as he pulled out the shovel and lunged toward her.

Five feet wasn’t enough. One step, two, he had it up and she had to either get off a shot or duck . . .

She managed both with partial success as she pulled the trigger and dived away, still catching a glancing blow on one shoulder. The pain radiated but she rolled, the ground wet and cold, and from flat on her stomach fired again.

Maybe she’d hit him, maybe not, and it might have been the arrival of the cruiser, but he dropped the shovel and turned to run. As she struggled to her feet, Ellie heard the car door slam and a shout. A moment later a startled young trooper ran up. “You okay?”

Actually, she wasn’t sure. Her arm hurt like all hell from even that glancing blow. “Good timing,” she gritted out, hoping nothing was broken. “Where’ve you’ve been? Never mind. Which way did he go?”

“Around the back…into the woods I think.” The young officer looked chagrined.

Just last fall she’d chased a murderer through the woods and gotten shot in the process. She wasn’t anxious to repeat the experience, but Reichert hadn’t been armed or at a guess he would have shot her instead of trying to bludgeon her to death.

Except if she had seen him reach for it, she might have reacted faster. He
could
have a gun.

“Call Johanssen. Tell her we got him and need backup, and then follow me.” Ellie was already moving, dodging around the corner of the house with weapon extended. The trees were silent, nothing moving, but shadows were starting to lengthen.

She heard the crunch just as she noticed the bright splotches of crimson on the ground.

Someone was moving through the fallen leaves straight ahead, and if the fresh blood was any indication, he was wounded. That meant they could track him. Unless it was just a flesh wound and he could wrap it, but for that he needed time and she intended to make sure he didn’t have it.

“Mr. Reichert.” She moved forward, cautiously skirting the trees, weapon drawn, as she tried to stay under cover. “Surrender. You’re wounded and we’ll get you medical attention.”

No response, but there was more blood on the leaves at her feet now, just a faint drop, but easy to see. Her arm ached worse with each passing moment and the Glock felt heavy.

Breathing hard, the deputy caught up with her, saying, “We’ve got officers coming. They’re going to block off the roads.”

She pointed to the ground. “I must have at least clipped him, maybe more. I don’t like that we can’t see into those trees. He’s a big guy. Let’s not assume he’s incapacitated in any way. Could just be a graze and he’s obviously willing to assault a police officer. We don’t know he isn’t armed.”

He nodded, his weapon out also. She wondered if he was even twenty-five years old but thought not, and he didn’t look nearly as comfortable as she wished he did with the sidearm in his hand, but he was at least
there
.

“Here.” She handed him her flashlight, which miraculously hadn’t broken when she fell. “Let’s follow his trail.”

It turned out they didn’t have to go far.

Reichert was lying about twenty yards away and Ellie could hear raspy breathing as they approached. His flannel shirt was soaked with blood and she readjusted her thinking at once about whether she’d just grazed him, but she also didn’t trust that he was really down.

The air smelled like wet pine needles as she advanced. “Don’t move.”

He groaned and it sounded pretty real, but Ellie wasn’t feeling all that charitable with her shoulder and arm throbbing in sync with her heart. Not to mention there was mud all over her jacket from the shovel that she was fairly sure might have come from an impromptu grave.

“Please cuff him,” she told the deputy as they stepped closer. “I’ll cover you and if he moves, he’s dead. Just make sure I always have a clear shot. My finger is on the trigger.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Holding her weapon steady cost her but it was worth it when the deputy pried one of Reichert’s hands off the wound, which she saw was in the abdomen. Not that it was where she’d aimed, but that damned shovel had been coming fast and she hadn’t exactly escaped unscathed either.

The sound of a siren wailed in the distance.

She crouched down next to the fallen man. “Where is Rose Beech? Your basement? I saw that new lock.”

Reichert was barely conscious, but he managed to say, “Fuck you. You’ll…never…find her.”

She managed to wiggle a small distance, scraping the skin from her ankles as she shoved. Then Rose faded out for a while, dreaming of that Christmas, the one when her mom and dad were still together and they’d given her a dollhouse complete with tiny furniture and even miniature dishes and pictures on the walls.

It was in her closet and she ridiculously wanted to see it right now, like she was seven years old again.

To touch it.

Remember
that
day, not this one. What a stupid thing to be thinking about.

If it
was
even daytime.

It was impossible to know. It all felt like the midnight showing of a horror movie.

Officer Johanssen walked over to where Ellie sat on the back of the ambulance, her arm now in a sling she didn’t want and had refused at first. “So she wasn’t in the basement.”

“I wish she had been, but I guess now I’m not surprised. He sounded like he meant it when he said we’d never find her.” Ellie closed her eyes and leaned back, the metal door cold against her back. She wasn’t positive that when she’d been shot last fall it hurt quite this bad. The emergency rescue medical staff had speculated that it was possible her collarbone was fractured and there wasn’t much that could be done about it. How lovely.

The detective looked strained. Ellie was strained too. It was really getting dark now. Johanssen spread her hands. “All ideas welcome. He’s not talking, and he couldn’t even if he would. He’s lost a lot of blood. They’ve taken Reichert on to the regional hospital via the taxpayer dollar. Doesn’t seem right, does it?”

No, it didn’t, and his threat had some weight behind it based on the topography and how that damned case last fall had proved victims could be stashed in many inventive places in such a rural area. “I wish I’d just winged him, but he did try to kill me with a shovel,” Ellie said, trying to ignore the pain radiating now through her entire arm and not succeeding all that well. In truth, she felt she should have been faster; should have drawn her weapon earlier.

Except there had been really very little proof and absolutely no physical evidence at the time, and maybe even now they’d never be able to convince a jury he’d actually abducted Rose.

If he died . . .

They might never find her.

The swirl of the blue and red lights did not help her concentration and she put her good hand on her forehead, palm to clammy skin because she really was in pain, and tried to
think
.

“All that was down there was some sort of amateur collection of rocks and big crystals, that sort of thing. Quartz and some mica. Maybe the asshole thought it was valuable so he put on new locks.” Johanssen sat down next to her with a grim expression “So, let’s face it, she could be dead. That shovel with fresh dirt on it wasn’t in the back of his truck for nothing. We’ll analyze the soil and see if we can narrow it down to where he might have been digging.”

No. Too little too late, and Ellie wasn’t willing to give up yet. “That’ll take time we don’t have.”

“We’ve already started the search parties, for both Rose and Mrs. Reichert. The dogs might help, but I have a feeling he just stopped on the side of the road and got out and tossed her phone toward the river, not realizing it didn’t go into the water. It doesn’t mean Rose was anywhere near those cabins. We have a needle-in-a-haystack problem here, MacIntosh.”

All true,
dammit
. The metal was cold through her clothes where she sat and Ellie adjusted her position, thinking, thinking . . .

She said slowly, “He put a new lock on his storm cellar for some crystals and mica scrapings? Maybe it means something. His sister said he was antisocial but mentioned his collection. In parts of Wisconsin there are pegmatite mines. They aren’t huge like quarries, but some are really small, maybe fifteen feet deep, and they slope. It isn’t like a coal mine. It’s an igneous intrusion into the surrounding rock and these crystals form, and some are valuable.”

Detective Johanssen stared at her. “What are you, a geologist?”

“No, but I used to date one.” Ellie stood up, grimaced, and said, “If he was collecting crystals there could be an abandoned mine around here, maybe even on the property. He said we’d never find her. I want to prove him wrong.”

“How the hell—”

“Geological survey.” Ellie said it succinctly. “Get the sheriff to pull strings so someone goes into the database and searches for it.”

It was at the back of the property in a small ravine, the opening absolutely obscured by several bushes that when they held their leaves would completely cover it.

All the flashlights in the world could not make the idea of entering that hole appealing. The sun had finally disappeared in a spectacular vista of crimson behind the still-leafless trees and it was dark, the breeze holding a light sigh through the empty branches.

“All I need is to find a hibernating bear to round out this day,” Ellie muttered as she crouched down, wincing as her arm changed position. “He’ll be hungry too, I imagine, after the winter.”

But when she shone her light over the rocky exterior, she experienced a flicker of triumph. Whether or not her theory was just a stab of desperation, the opening was not a product of nature and there was evidence of someone coming and going in the damp soil, one clue the clear imprint of the sole of a hiking boot.

They had fanned out, since it had been confirmed there was a mine in the area, several in fact, but the dots on the map didn’t quite pinpoint the locations. She would have called Johanssen, but couldn’t manage both her phone and the flashlight at the same time.

“Rose?” She took in a breath, shining her light in as far as possible and bending down to enter, since it wasn’t possible to walk in otherwise. The light reflected here and there in brilliant facets, and whether or not she found a missing girl at the end, she knew she’d discovered where Reichert was mining his crystal collection, all borne out by a pickax leaning against one wall as she eased in a few more feet.

“Rose?”

A small whimper was the answer.

Ellie briefly closed her eyes and whispered out loud, “Thank God.”

Was she hallucinating?

Rose thought so.

First of all, there was light.

Dim, but light, so she blinked, and she could swear someone called her name.

Yeah, hallucinating. She’d been kind of out of it for a while . . .

“Rose?”

Female voice. It echoed, which meant she was near, but responding wasn’t easy. She’d already discovered that when she did summon the strength to yell, it sounded it horrible.

“Here.”

It didn’t sound like much, but it was an answer. A rasp and no more.

And enough.

The light arced around a ceiling that was surprisingly beautiful, with facets of colored stones. Maybe someday she’d care about that and wonder over it later, but for now all she could croak out was one word. “Water.”

The woman that bent over her was blond and pretty even if she did have mud on her jacket and her arm was in a sling. She knelt beside her. “All you want, just let me get you free.”

Susan stared at the phone in her hand and set it down for the third time.

Only to pick it up again.

Just make the call
.

Detective MacIntosh answered on the second ring, her voice crisp and even. “Yes?”

“It’s Susan Reichert.”

“I saw the number…what can I do for you?” The tone was professional and cool.

Let’s see, how should she apologize for her brother trying to kill the woman on the other end of the line? On the other hand, the detective had shot him and put him in intensive care, so surely they were a little bit even.

“I wanted to…talk.”

“Of course. On the phone or face to face?”

That was a nice neutral answer. She relaxed a fraction, easing the ache in her shoulders. “On the phone is fine. I have two questions. The first one is how is Rose? I’m not family, so no one will tell me anything, and understandably, I have not approached her father or mother. I have really no idea what I would say to them.”

“She’s fine.” Detective MacIntosh paused. “I don’t really think they blame you. I believe they are sorry for your loss and grateful you called the police when you did. Loyalty can be a tricky fence to sit on, and if it makes you feel any better, I think at one time or another in our lives that conflict comes up and you handled it the right way.”

Considering her life right at the moment was a bleak, dark road with no destination at the end, the praise was somewhat comforting.

“He’s my brother, but he killed our mother.” Susan pressed the back of her hand to her mouth. That horrible shovel…she couldn’t bear to think of it. The body hadn’t been yet uncovered but there wasn’t a word and she knew.

She
knew
.

Ellie’s voice softened. “I really can’t imagine being you right now.”

The room was very sophisticated and decorated in a classic style of rich fabrics and dark wood. Ellie looked around at the walls and furniture and was amused. Judge Nelson fit the stereotype. Paneled walls, paintings that she probably could never afford on a detective’s salary, and a cluttered desk that if she had to guess was made out of pure rosewood.

The door into the chambers opened and the judge came in, unfastening her robe. She handed it to the person who had followed her and inclined her head to indicate he should leave.

Then she sat down behind that beautiful desk and lifted her brows. “Detective.”

“Your Honor.”

“How is your shoulder?”

“Sore,” she responded cautiously, not really quite sure why she was there. Case over. She’d done what was asked of her, and…
over
.

“I understand you shot yet another suspect in the line of duty.”

Like she wasn’t getting enough gibes about this on a daily basis from everyone in the sheriff’s department.

She said bluntly, “Had I been a little faster to draw my weapon, maybe we would have found Rose sooner. I tend to overthink things once in a while. Besides, he lived, didn’t he?”

Never on earth could Judge Nelson even remotely look benign, but for a blind moment—maybe? “It wasn’t a criticism.”

“He
did
try to kill me,” Ellie said with as little defensiveness as possible. “And he had kidnapped your niece. How is Rose?”

The judge sat back, her expression somber again. “Recovering…I mean how can someone ever remotely imagine being trapped, tied hand and foot, in a cave for over day?”

“I can’t,” Ellie said truthfully. “I have to admit it took some courage to go in, but the good news is that Vic Reichert had probably taken care of the potential wildlife threat when he—” She stopped and remembered the low, confining shaft. “Rose was very brave.”

“Yes, she is.” Judge Nelson nodded. “I just got a call. They found his mother in a shallow grave not far from where the cell phone was tossed.”

Ellie felt a pang for Susan Reichert. “That’s too bad.”

“I agree.” The judge sat back. “But while Wisconsin does not embrace the death penalty, I doubt he’ll ever see the light of day again unless it is in a prison yard.”

Just as well. She’d looked into those eyes and seen no remorse.

“Would you like a glass of wine? I want to discuss something with you.”

Ellie shifted in the very expensive leather chair to ease her aching arm. “Thank you…That would be nice…to discuss what?”

Judge Nelson got up and picked up a decanter, poured some of the contents into two glasses, and then came over to hand Ellie her drink in her good hand. “A favor for a favor. And it really isn’t largesse on my part. You found Rose. She’s alive, she’s going to be fine, and you did it.”

“Officer Johanssen would have done it just the same.” Ellie’s fingers curled around the stem.

“Maybe, but who knows?” Over the rim of her crystal glass, the other woman considered her. “Take the credit for finding her. I really am not sure it would have happened otherwise.
I’m
going to take credit for calling you in.”

Ellie tasted the wine. It was a deep red, probably a much finer vintage than her salary allowed, smooth and rich on the palate. “I was simply doing my job, Your Honor.”

“The Milwaukee Police Department is interested in a homicide detective with your level of intuition.”

“Are they?”

“You aren’t flattered?” Judge Nelson said it with an edge of amusement. “Let me rephrase, Detective. You are good at what you do. I think everyone believes that you are in position for a major promotion, and that includes me, the sheriff, and actually, Metzger, the chief of the MPD. It means more money, a different city, and a crack at bigger cases.”

Bryce lived in Milwaukee. How did she feel about this? She wasn’t sure.

So she hedged. “Because you pulled political strings?”

“Because you found my niece, and before that, you tracked down an elusive serial killer who had terrorized northern Wisconsin for over a year. Nothing to do with me. All on your own merit. All I did was bring it to the attention of the proper people who could really use you.”

Milwaukee. She wasn’t sure how she felt about big cities.

But, once again, Bryce.

It would be a commitment of sorts.

Was she ready?

The way it was now, their relationship was struggling a little with the four-hour distance between them. She wasn’t positive she was prepared to change her entire life for him, but maybe she was.

Since she seemed to be considering it.

Besides, she found working homicide cases a challenge.

Ellie took another smooth sip and then said, “I appreciate the offer, Your Honor.”

Just at that moment her phone began to ring. A flick of a glance showed it was Bryce. Finally.

Maybe it was a sign. She stood. “If you will excuse me, I need to take this call.”