The Advocate's Ex Parte (The Advocate Series Book 5) (34 page)

Klakken was inside the house. Two female and three male detectives were taking statements from the girls. JP told Klakken about the other houses and the information Kim-Ly had shared about Scott Le.

“I need to get a warrant for the house where the girls are and pick up Leland and Le before they split. Did she give you any other names?”

“No.”

“Can you follow me to the station?”

“Sure, if you’ll give me a ride to my car, and a bottle of Ibuprofen wouldn’t hurt.”

“Let’s go. They don’t need us here.”

JP went over to Kim-Ly and Bich, who were talking to an officer. “I have to leave, but you’re in good hands. Everything is going to be okay.” JP could still see the fear in their eyes. He wished he could do more for them as he turned and left.

***

The station hadn’t changed much since JP’s day on the force. He sat across the desk from Klakken and his partner Franklin. It didn’t take long for JP and Klakken to put together enough information to request search warrants for the houses owned by David Leland and Scott Le and arrest warrants for both of them.

“Thanks for your help,” Franklin said. “By the way, I called your friend, Ms. Brown, and let her know you were okay. I told her you would call her when you were back in range.”

JP looked at the clock on Klakken’s desk. It read 11:58 p.m. He had listened to the three messages Sabre had left him, but they were all much earlier in the evening. “Thanks, it’s late. I’ll call her first thing in the morning. Now, go get the scumbags, and please let me or Sabre know what happens.”

As JP stood to leave he heard someone call his name. He turned. “Bob. What are you doing here?”

“I had to come see a client. She’s a crazy lady who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. I feel kind of bad for her. Even though she’s nuttier than a pecan pie, she doesn’t belong in jail. She needs help, but I can’t seem to keep her out of jail long enough to get it for her.” Bob paused. “Why are you here?”

“Working on a case for Sabre. Long story.”

JP limped as they walked outside.

“What happened to you?”

“I think my toe is broken.” Bob looked down at JP’s foot. “Part of the same long story,” JP said.

“There’s a bar across the street. Let’s grab a drink. I need something after dealing with the crazy lady and it’ll be good for your foot. You can tell me your long story over a beer.”

“A beer sounds good.”

They walked into the bar and took a seat amongst the ten or so other patrons. JP told Bob that they’d broken a sex trafficking ring and he’d probably see it on the news tomorrow. A tired-looking waitress, who clocked in at around sixty, came to take their order.

“I’ll have a Corona,” JP said.

“Do you have any Shiner Bock?” Bob asked.

“No, sorry. Would you like…?”

“Why did you ask for Shiner Bock?” JP interrupted.

“They’re good. Sabre gave me one yesterday.”

“Where did she get it?”

“Excuse me, would you like something else?” the waitress asked.

Bob looked back at the waitress. “I’ll have….”

“Bob, why did Sabre have Shiner Bock?” JP raised his voice just enough to be intimidating.

Bob raised his hands, fingers up and palms out toward JP. “Whoa there, cowboy. Hold your horses.” He turned back to the waitress. “I’ll have a Negra Modelo if you have it; if not, bring me a Corona.”

The waitress left and Bob said. “She had a date. The guy came by her house to make her dinner. He’s all decked out in a cowboy hat and has a Southern drawl that I guess Sabre finds attractive. He likes Shiner Bock, so she bought it for him.”

JP stood up before Bob finished his sentence. He threw a twenty-dollar bill on the table for the beer. “I think Sabre’s in trouble.”

Chapter 60

On the way to Sabre’s, JP and Bob tried to call her, but their calls went to voice mail. JP explained about Robin and Tyson Doyle Cooper. Then he tried Robin. When her voice mail came on, he said, “Tyson is in town. Get in your car and drive to the nearest police station. Then call me.”

“If he hurt Sabre, that bastard’ll be going to meet the devil before the sun rises,” JP muttered as he drove.

When they pulled into Sabre’s driveway. JP jumped out of the car almost before it came to a full stop. There were no lights on in her condo. He rang the doorbell, but no one answered.

JP pulled his gun from his holster and flipped it around so the barrel was in his hand.

“What are you doing?” Bob asked.

“I’m going to break a window and go inside,” JP said. He started toward the window.

“Wait! I have a key.”

“Why didn’t you say so?”

“You didn’t ask.” Bob opened the door. “Sabre, are you here?” he called.

No answer. JP stepped inside. “Maybe you should wait out here?” JP whispered. “I don’t have another gun for you.”

“I’ll grab the poker stick from the fireplace.”

JP moved slowly across the living room and into the kitchen, then the bathroom. No one was there. Bob took the poker from the fireplace and followed JP.

“Wait down here,” JP said quietly. He moved stealthily up the steps, gun in hand. When he reached Sabre’s bedroom he whipped around inside, pointing his gun forward. The room was empty. He checked the rest of the house, but it was unoccupied. He flipped on the light switch, came downstairs, and went to the kitchen. There were still a few bottles of Shiner Bock beer in the refrigerator and three empty bottles in the recycle trash.

“Maybe they’re out on a date?” Bob suggested.

“But where?”

“Perhaps we should wait here until they come home.”

JP opened up the door to the garage but found no car.

“She has her car. What if they don’t come back here?”

JP pushed the button for Sabre’s cell again. He had already left three messages, so this time he just hung up. Within a few seconds, JP received a text. He didn’t recognize the phone number, but he knew it was a Texas area code. The caller sent a photo of Sabre with a note that read,
Missing someone?

“He has her,” JP said.

“He has a
photo
of Sabre, but that doesn’t mean he has her,” Bob said. “Look, that was taken here at her house.”

JP texted back.
What do you want?

The next text was a photo of both Sabre and Robin. The message read,
Nothing from you, but I have what you want.
The photo was taken in JP’s living room.

JP ran out the door with Bob behind him. By the time Bob had locked Sabre’s front door, JP had pulled out of the driveway. Bob was barely able to jump into the passenger seat before JP sped down the street. Bob closed the car door and fastened his seat belt. JP broke every speed limit and ran nearly every light between Sabre’s house and his.

***

“Who did you send the pictures to?” Sabre asked Tyson.

“Robin’s boyfriend.”

“Please stop calling him that. He’s not my boyfriend. We’re just friends.”

Tyson reached down and yanked Robin up by the arm. “Do you know how this makes me look? You’re sleeping with another man. What kind of a man lets his wife sleep around?”

“I haven’t been sleeping with him. I swear. Please, Tyson.” She sounded like a little girl pleading with her angry father. He pushed down on her arm, knocking her back to the floor.

While Tyson focused on Robin, Sabre glanced around the room looking for something with which she could defend herself. Nothing much had changed since she had stayed here—the same sofa, same forty-two-inch plasma television, the bookcase with the photo of JP’s father in his marine uniform, and the two marble cowboy-boot bookends. Memories flooded back of the last time she was here. JP had been trying to protect her, but she’d been forced to defend herself against an intruder with one of those bookends. She wished she could reach one of them now. She wondered where the golf putter was that always leaned against the end of the bookcase. It would’ve been almost within her reach.

“Why did you send the pictures to JP?” Sabre spoke as calmly as she could. She didn’t know if she was more angry or scared.

“Because he deserves to hurt the same way I have been hurting for the last few weeks. He took what was mine. Now I’ll take what’s his. I’ll teach him to mess with my wife.”

“But we’re not a couple. We just work together.”

“I don’t know who you’re trying to fool, but every time that guy called your eyes lit up. And when you thought he was in trouble, you were so concerned I couldn’t keep your attention. You were dating me….” Tyson looked at Robin. “I’m sorry, honey, but it was just a ruse so I could find you. You know I love only you. I thought about banging her just to even the score with you, but she repulsed me. The stupid woman doesn’t even appreciate a good bottle of wine when she sees one.” His eyes were once again on Sabre. “You were dating me and thinking about him. I’m betting he feels the same way about you, even though he took on my wife for a while.”

“It’s not like that,” Sabre said. “He probably won’t even come home.” She knew better. He would be here as soon as he received those photos. Everyone in the room knew it, but she tried to sell it anyway. And when JP showed up, he would be ambushed. And what did Tyson mean when he said, “Now, I’ll take
his
.” Was he going to kill her? She saw a glimpse of silver near the edge of the sofa. The golf club must have fallen. She wasn’t going without a fight, she thought.

“He’s from Texas. He’ll show up.” Tyson grinned at his own comment. “Stand up. Both of you.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so,” Tyson snapped.

Sabre stood up. Her legs felt weak and shaky as she did. She reached out her hand to help Robin, rolling her eyes to her left toward the sofa. Robin accepted her hand and let Sabre help her up. Sabre steadied herself. She thought she saw Robin respond with a subtle nod of the head, but she couldn’t be certain.

“Where are we going?” Sabre asked.

“You just don’t know when to keep your mouth shut, do you?” Tyson said. He swung his hand out in an attempt to backhand her. Sabre ducked and moved to her left. Robin dodged to her left toward the door. Tyson lunged at Robin. Sabre grabbed the golf club. Tyson turned toward her, reached out, and grabbed Robin with his left hand. With his right he reached behind his back to grab his gun. His back was toward Sabre. She swung the club like a baseball bat, stepping into it with all the force she could muster. She caught him across the wrist. Sabre heard a crack. Tyson yelled out in pain, his arm falling by his side. His .357 Magnum clanked as it hit the tile. He let go of Robin and when he did, she spun around and kicked him squarely in the face. His head popped back, but the kick didn’t deter him. His arm flew up in an attempt to grab her again. Sabre had the golf club cocked high above her head in front of her. She brought it straight down, hitting his shoulder.

Tyson spotted his gun. They all dived to the floor and wrestled to get possession of it. Sabre had her hand on the barrel for a moment, but it slipped away. A shot rang out as the gun went off. The noise resounded in Sabre’s ears. Pain shot through her head as her face smashed against the floor. She couldn’t move her head. All she could do was watch as the white tile turned red with blood.

Chapter 61

JP pulled up to his house, jumped out of the car, and ran to the front door. He heard the shot just as he reached the entrance. He kicked the door open with his gun in position to shoot Tyson Doyle Cooper.

“Don’t move!” Then he called out to Bob. “Call for an ambulance. Someone’s been shot.”

The mound of bodies on the floor looked like a playground pile-up game gone wrong. Tyson Doyle Cooper had both of the women pinned down with his hips and legs. His upper torso lay on the floor. All JP could see of Sabre was the back of her head. Robin’s legs stuck out the other side. The blood pooled around them. JP walked slowly around to where he could see all their faces.

“Sabre, are you okay?”

“I think so.”

“Robin?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Two policemen rushed through the front door and pointed their guns at JP. He lowered his gun, turned it over slowly, and handed it to the cop, handle first. “I just got here. I haven’t touched anything.” Sirens bellowed as a half-dozen other cars pulled up.

Bob stuck his head in the door. “I called an ambulance. They’re on their way.”

“Who are you?” one of the officers asked JP. His name tag read:
Foley
.

“I live here. My name is JP Torn. I’m a private investigator and I’m the one who called this in. The man lying there is Tyson Doyle Cooper. He beat his wife, Robin.” JP pointed at her. “When she ran away and came here, he followed her. The other woman is the attorney I work with, Sabre Brown. You can call Detective Greg Nelson at the Sheriff’s department to verify it.”

“Call and check it out,” Foley said to one of the other officers. “And stay with him until you confirm it.”

Officer Silva made a call from his cell and then planted himself next to JP.

Four more officers came in the front door. One of them checked Tyson for a pulse. “He’s still alive.”

“Where’s the gun?” JP asked.

“It’s underneath him,” Robin said.

Two of the officers slowly raised Tyson, watching carefully to keep his hands from reaching for the gun. He didn’t try. He must have passed out because he didn’t voluntarily move. They raised him up enough so Robin could pull herself out. A gloved hand from another officer reached for the gun and removed it. They lifted Tyson a little higher and Sabre scooted out. They lowered Tyson back to the floor just as the paramedics came in. Blood was hemorrhaging from his side.

Sabre saw a flurry of cops, paramedics, and firemen in the room. Several of them attended to Tyson. A paramedic and JP were crouched down next to her, and a policeman stood over JP. Blood covered the left side of her torso.

“Were you shot?” the paramedic asked.