Philippians 2:1-30.
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from
love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love,
being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or
conceit, but in humility count others more significant than
yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but
also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves,
which is yours in Christ Jesus.
Kate paced back and forth in her cottage, trying to think of a clever way to go and see Lucas. The words of her boss played over and over in her mind, but she just could not completely ignore the investigation. She needed to know what was going on, and why the man with the same tattoo as the hitmen she had relocated had ended up as a corpse in an Amish neighbor’s pond.
Kate walked toward the Kauffman haus, where Beth was weeding the garden. She leaned over the fence. “Hi, Beth. Do you need anything in town? It’s such a lovely day – I thought a buggy ride would do me some good and I could do your grocery shopping.”
“Wunderbaar!” Beth exclaimed. “Well, if you are sure you wouldn’t mind, I do have a list that I’ve have been meaning to take care of. Stop by the house, and I’ll have the list and money ready for you. I appreciate it. Isaac is always so busy working around the farm, so it’s lovely having someone close to us that is so willing to help out here and there.”
After picking up the grocery list and cash, Kate left the farm and drove to town. She tied the horse and then headed for the nearest Goodwill.
To her relief, the staff at Goodwill showed no interest in an Amish woman buying a navy blue blazer and pants, and white blouse, along with a pair of black shoes and a large tote.
Kate paid for her purchases – but now, where to change? Kate hurried to the public toilets in the park. It was an overcast day, and the wind was increasing in ferocity, and consequently, no one was around to witness her transformation.
Soon Kate was heading toward Lucas Caden’s residence in a taxi. She had no idea how this would play out – if only she had her badge and her gun. She knew the man would not speak to her willingly, and she was aware how the scenario would play out if she simply blindly approached him.
As the taxi pulled up to the nearly dilapidated Victorian home, Kate rehearsed her lines in her mind. Her plan was to offer Lucas Caden immunity from prosecution as long as he was forthcoming with information that led to an arrest in the case. She wasn’t entirely certain how she would be able to keep that promise, but she stayed optimistic that the police investigating the case would not stumble onto Lucas’s tracks the way she had. Kate had the taxi wait for her down the road, out of sight.
The sound of her knuckles colliding with the oak door reminded Kate of her time as a U.S. Marshal. Life out here wasn’t so bad, but she did miss being an agent. Now she was simply a former agent playing some roles. She playing a role, but she would never gain fame or praise for doing so – the sole function her acting played was that of saving her own life.
The door swung open suddenly, and then disappeared from view as a middle-aged man adorned the doorway. “Yes, can I help you?”
“You most certainly can. I’m Detective Austen. I work out of the sheriff’s office.” She tapped her hip to give the impression that she had a firearm holstered there.
“Oh, well, come right in, Detective.” Lucas led her to the living area and motioned for her to have a seat.
Kate was relieved beyond measure that the man had not asked to see her badge. “I’m here about Ethan Jackson, the homicide victim who was found recently. We have probable cause to believe you knew this person, and what you tell us might prove vital in our investigation.”
What looked like fear started to sink into Lucas’s appearance. His eyes retreated into beady, penetrating pupils. His smile was now all but invisible, and the tone of his skin all of a sudden looked two shades lighter. “Um, I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Detective Austen.”
“I was hoping we wouldn’t have to do this the hard way. We know the victim was involved with organized crime. We also know that you and the victim have been seen together in recent months. I’d hate to have to get a search warrant for this place. It looks like a harsh tossing around of its contents by a squad of cops might be somewhat detrimental.”
The man’s shoulders sagged miserably. “It’s an old home. Please. What is it you want from me?”
“Who was Ethan Jackson? What was his exact role and who did he work for?” Kate looked down at her notepad. She knew quite a bit of information already, but she needed to know everything he knew. “Why would anyone want to harm him?” she added. From the look on Lucas’s face, Kate knew that she was onto something.
“Okay, I can give you a little bit of information, but that’s gotta be it. I’m already too deep into this, and I can’t afford to risk my life to help some cops.” A terrified look covered his face. “He was a professional hitman for The Viper. An assassin, if you will. He carries out the hits ordered by Logan White’s organization.”
“Okay. And what else?”
“Well, here’s where it gets kinda crazy. Ethan and I were buddies from when we were kids. I used to live in a bad part of the city and we bonded. I hadn’t spoken to him in nearly twenty years, and he just suddenly appeared on my doorstep a few months back. I guess he ended up getting himself neck-deep in some trouble. He was withholding evidence for some of his contracts. He was using that evidence to blackmail the small-time crooks in hopes of getting some extra cash.”
Kate’s jaw dropped. “You’re telling me that Ethan Jackson was taking care of marked men, and then turning around and threatening his clients with exposition?”
“Exactly. I think that’s what led to him being found in the pond. He messed with the wrong people.”
“You mean The Viper, Logan White?”
“I’m sure you’ve heard about a new branch of organized crime opening up nearby. He said they were big fish, and he kept talking about how he was going to start fishing in more dangerous waters.”
The revelation was astonishing, and Kate worked hard to keep her poker face on straight. Logan White, himself, opening up a branch in town? “So, Ethan thought this new crime syndicate was going to be a bigger target? Do you know what happened after he actually tried to blackmail them?”
The man shuddered, and his face fell even further. “Well, the last time I saw him, was about a week before he disappeared. He had come by, all panicked and freaking out. He just kept saying that he needed to get out of the country. I didn’t understand why, until he told me that the new crime starting up wasn’t actually new. Logan White was expanding here. His larger contractor and most vicious crime boss around right now was the one he was trying to extort. I gave him some cash to help him make an escape, but obviously it didn’t help much.” Lucas looked down with obvious regret.
Questions flooded Kate’s mind as she thought about the actual motive. Did they kill him to silence him to take away the threat, or was it a punishment for trying to betray a kingpin? Perhaps both?
“Okay, Lucas. I do appreciate you being so open with us. I won’t be pressing any charges on you, and hopefully, your information will help us solve this homicide.”
Lucas nodded, his face still white.
Kate hurried back to the taxi as she thought about everything she had just learned. What would be her next step? She could hardly turn to her boss and ask his advice. At the same time, she knew that she could not keep this new information private. Something needed to be done with it, but next came the hard part. After shopping, at least. Now she had a whole different set of issues to worry about. Glancing at the list she wrestled from her pocket, more concerns clouded her already overwrought mind.
There was still a lot she had to learn about living out here, but she didn’t want to get used to this life. She wanted to find the mole, solve this case, and get her life back.