Web of Justice (21 page)

“Maybe he
is
a fool,” Jake put in. “That’s been my theory all along.”

“I think he’s insane,” Annie said. “His phone calls to us attest to that. Any mere mention of his mother sends him off on a raving diatribe.”

“Whatever else he is,” Hank said, “he’s a menace who must be stopped. If he’s widened his targets to include anyone, especially police officers, then it appears no one’s safe now. He’s become even more unpredictable.”

“Hi, Uncle Hank.” Matty strolled into the room and greeted Hank with a fist bump. He sat beside his father and looked curiously at the cop. “You look tired, Uncle Hank.”

Hank laughed. “Good observation. In fact, I’m worn right out.”

“Can’t you get some sleep?”

Hank laughed. “Cops don’t sleep.”

Matty looked at Hank in disbelief, then chuckled and slid off his chair. “I’m pretty sure they do,” he said, then wandered into the living room. The sounds of the television soon wafted into the kitchen.

“We had a visitor today,” Annie said. “Lisa Krunk thinks we know where Izzy Wilde is. She’s determined to interview him, and she wanted to make some kind of deal with us.”

“What kind of deal?”

“She thought if she mentioned Lincoln Investigations favorably in one of her news stories, it would be good for our business.”

“She’s always trying to stay ahead of the pack,” Hank said. “I hope you didn’t offer to help her.”

“Not a chance,” Jake said. “We have nothing for her anyway. She left in a huff.”

Annie turned the conversation to a more serious matter. “Tell us about Hannah Quinn.”

Hank looked even more tired, defeated perhaps. His shoulders drooped and he stared at his hands a moment. Finally, he looked up, a distant look in his eyes, and took a long breath. “Twenty-five years old. Leaves behind a husband and a two-year-old girl.”

Annie remained silent, but Jake saw the anguish in his wife’s eyes. He knew what she was thinking. She always felt deeply for the victims of senseless crime, and her heart would be breaking in two, not only for the father, but for the toddler as well.

At the moment, Jake felt only anger. He had a good idea what Hannah Quinn’s husband would be going through right now. The man’s future would be filled with despair, and the girl would grow up knowing little about who her mother was. It was almost an unbearable thought.

There was silence in the room for a while. No one had anything to add, and though none of them had ever met Hannah Quinn, they quietly mourned for her and her family.

Annie turned to Hank and broke the stillness. “Did you give any more thought to what we talked about? About discussing things with Amelia?”

“I did,” Hank said, forcing a faint grin. “And you’re right. I need someone I can let this all out on. It’s great to talk to you guys, but I’ve decided to let Amelia in on a little more of my world.” He looked at his watch. “She’s expecting me by nine, so I’d better get going. I need to take a little break. There’s nothing I can do right now, and I’m sure I’ll be the first one to get a call if anything pops.”

Jake stood and saw Hank to the door. He stood in the doorway and watched the cop back out of the driveway and head away.

It was getting dark out, and Izzy Wilde was still out there in the darkness somewhere. The lunatic’s first three kidnappings had all taken place after the sun had set, and Jake was concerned. Izzy still had a vehicle, and if the police had no success in locating him in the next hour or two, there might be news of another mindless slaughter in the morning.

Chapter 34

DAY 5 - Friday, 7:21 a.m.

LISA KRUNK HAD awakened with one ambition. The same thought that had plagued her sleep, causing her to toss and turn throughout the night, was still foremost in her mind.

She had to get the story.

Due to her unparalleled investigative skills, Channel 7 had offered her some prime-time slots a couple of times recently. Her knack of getting to the heart of any story, combined with her exposés on a variety of timely topics, had guaranteed she was predestined for bigger and better things.

It was just a matter of time before she was recognized nationwide, certain to stand alongside the greats who’d gone before.

It all took guts, determination, and perseverance.

And she had that in spades.

There was always a story. One just had to ferret it out, then elaborate and embellish and, with her editing skills, it would come together into a masterpiece worthy of her adoring fans.

And right now, the story was all about Izzy Wilde.

It was disturbing that the Lincolns had brushed her aside without so much as hearing her proposal. She often went out of her way, not only to assist them in their investigations whenever possible, but to aid the local police as well, and it made their curt dismissal of her even more unbelievable.

Detective Corning wasn’t much better, barely giving her the time of day unless it suited his agenda.

She was on a first-name basis with the lot of them, and it just wasn’t fair.

But today was another day, and she was determined to make the most of it. Her public relied on her to bring them high-quality stories day after day. It saddened her that many of her well-crafted reports, though often commanding the top spot on the evening news, were soon forgotten by the next day. The never-ending flow of mundane pieces that other so-called reporters littered the news with saw to that.

She sighed at the thought and resolved to outshine them all.

It was essential she look and feel her best for the day ahead. She downed a bottle of instant breakfast drink, dropped one more for the road into her bag, then tended to her appearance. It was important to her how she looked on camera.

She brushed down her long black hair, touched up her red lips, and admired herself in the full-length mirror hanging on the bathroom door. She looked great.

Hurrying back to the living room, she brushed aside the curtain and peered out. Don would be arriving soon, and her faithful cameraman would wait for her at the curb seven floors below.

She thought perhaps she didn’t give her cameraman enough credit. Sure, anyone could do his job, but he was loyal to her, devoted to his work, and always willing to jump when she demanded it.

She made a point to consider giving him a small bonus this Christmas.

The ringing of her cell phone startled her. She raced to the kitchen and rifled through her handbag, then pulled the phone out and looked at the caller ID. It was an unknown number.

“Lisa Krunk,” she said in the most businesslike voice she could manage.

She heard breathing on the line and she frowned. It must be one of her multitude of fans, no doubt calling just to hear her voice.

“Who’s this?” she demanded.

“Ms. Krunk?” It was a man’s voice.

“Yes.”

The voice continued. “I understand you wanna speak to me.”

She caught her breath. She had a pretty good idea who was calling. From the research she’d done on the case, she recognized the distinct voice of Izzy Wilde. Her heart pounded. This might be the break she needed. It seemed too good to be true, but here it was.

She took a deep breath to calm her excitement, then spoke in a relaxed voice. “Mr. Wilde. I’m anxious to talk with you.”

“What do you wanna talk about?” It sounded like an innocent enough question, spoken in a casual manner.

Lisa struggled to think. She had a million questions, and every one of his answers was bound to produce more questions. But she detested phone interviews. She needed things to be close-up and personal. She needed to look her subjects in the eye, to see deep into their souls, and trust her instincts to take the interview into a profitable direction.

“I’d like to meet with you,” she said, then held her breath.

Izzy gave a short laugh. “Why would I wanna do that?”

“Because you have a story,” Lisa said. “Everyone has a story they need to tell. And I’d very much like to hear yours, and I believe the people of this city would love to hear it as well.”

“I keep up with the news. My story’s on the front page and on every television.”

Was she losing him? She stroked his ego. “But that’s not your real story. Your fans would prefer to hear about the real you.”

“My fans?” It wasn’t really a question. It was more of an acceptance of a truth dawning on him. Perhaps recognition that his work hadn’t gone unappreciated. He took a quick breath. “Do you think so?” His voice showed some enthusiasm now.

She had him interested. “Of course,” she lied. She bit her lip, then continued with what he wanted to hear. “Everywhere I go, I hear from people who admire you for your accomplishments.”

“You do?”

Was he swallowing her line? She hoped he was gullible enough. She continued pouring out the verbal charade. “I’m a bit of a fan myself.”

She closed her eyes and waited for his reply.

He remained silent. What was he thinking?

Finally, he spoke. “It ain’t safe. How do I know I can trust you?”

She thought quickly. He was nibbling at the hook, and she couldn’t afford to lose him now. Now that it was so close. So close.

“I’ll come alone,” she said. “We must trust each other. Can I trust you, Izzy?”

“Of course you can trust me. But that ain’t my concern. I worked long and hard to keep ahead of them cops. I’m not about to give up everything.”

“It’s for the fans, Izzy. Think of your fans.”

There was more silence, then Izzy answered at last. “All right. Come alone.”

“I will.”

“No camera.”

She hesitated. “No camera.”

“You’d better not try to betray me,” Izzy said. “I’ll be watching and waiting.”

“I won’t betray you.” She paused and spoke breathlessly. “Where do you want to meet?”

“I’ll call you back. Get into your car and head south down Main Street, then wait for my call. I’ll guide you. I need to be careful.”

“I understand. And please, call me Lisa. All my friends call me Lisa.”

“Fine, Lisa. I’ll call you back in fifteen minutes.”

The line went dead. Lisa dropped her arms to her side, laid her head back and closed her eyes. She breathed deeply for a while, her heart beating in time with her pounding pulse.

She finally calmed down. It was time to get ready.

She peeked out the window. Don was waiting for her. She rang his number. “I have to go somewhere by myself this morning, Don. I’ll call you back again when I need you.”

Lisa hung up and watched as the van pulled from the curb and left the lot.

She hurried to the bedroom, rummaged through a drawer in her nightstand, and found her old cell phone. She turned it on. The battery was getting weak, but it would do. She dumped it into her handbag along with her other phone, then grabbed her apartment keys and headed out, locking the door behind her.

Her rarely used silver Toyota waited for her in the underground parking. She climbed in, started the engine, and took a deep breath, hoping she was doing the right thing.

She convinced herself she was and backed from the slot, then headed for Main Street.

She looked at her watch. It’d been almost ten minutes since she’d talked to Izzy. He’d be calling her back soon.

As she pulled onto Main, she was overtaken with a feeling of extreme nervousness. Her mouth felt dry—she should’ve brought some water—and her hands were sweating.

Maybe she was being foolish after all.

There was a reason she’d brought her extra phone. It was just as a precaution, but her forethought might serve a dual purpose—to show her goodwill and, of course, to ring up some points toward future favors.

She pulled both phones from her handbag, laid her main one on the passenger seat, then dialed a number with the other.

Chapter 35

Friday, 8:54 a.m.

JAKE’S IPHONE RANG.

He removed it from his side pocket and looked at the caller ID, a frown deepening across his brow. What did Lisa Krunk want now? Was she calling to apologize? He chuckled. Fat chance. She probably had more demands—something else she wanted from them.

He sighed lightly and answered the call, struggling to remain patient. “Yes, Lisa.”

“Jake, I have a great opportunity for you.” Lisa seemed out of breath, with a noticeable quiver in her voice as she continued, “I have to make this fast. I’m on the road, and I don’t have much time to explain.”

Jake glared at the phone, then put it on speaker and went into the office, where Annie sat at the computer. She sat back as he dropped into the guest chair, leaned forward, and set his cell phone on the desk between them.

“I’m listening,” he said.

Lisa continued, “I’ve secured an interview with Izzy Wilde, and when I’m finished, I want to do my civic duty and have him arrested.”

Jake looked up at Annie. His wife’s eyes were widening at she stared at the phone in disbelief. He knew she was thinking the same thing he was. Lisa had gone too far this time. He knew she’d do just about anything for a story, but this was craziness.

“How did you manage that?” Jake asked.

“I had mentioned it to his brother. They must’ve been in contact with each other, and he’s agreed to the interview.”

Jake knew Lisa was unaware that the police had been monitoring Wilde’s calls. He realized if there’d been some contact between the brothers, either it was in person, or Carter had another phone.

Annie leaned forward. “You need to call the police, Lisa.”

Lisa raised her voice and spoke adamantly. “No.” She took a deep breath, then said flatly, “I need this.”

“Then why’re you calling me?” Jake asked.

“I want to give you the opportunity to catch him. But not until I’m done with the interview. I owe you that much.”

“You don’t owe us anything,” Annie said.

“I want to show there’s no ill will between us, and I don’t hold any hard feelings toward either one of you.” Lisa sniffed and continued, “And it’s a win-win situation for everyone. I get the interview, you get the credit, and the police get their man.”