Friday nights were always my favorite. That night began our weekend together, and Hanna would stay until Monday morning when we both left for work. I was never guaranteed no interruptions. Still, just having her there at the home that I hoped we would soon share full-time, was a good start.
Lying in bed and unable to drift off, I listened to Hanna’s slow in-and-out breathing only inches from my face. I wished I could turn off my mind and sleep, too, but until I figured out who the killer was, I didn’t see that happening.
I checked the time every so often and finally gave up. Sleep wouldn’t come without help. As quietly as possible, I climbed out of bed, walked to the bathroom, and opened the medicine cabinet. After shaking a melatonin tablet into my hand, I popped it into my mouth and washed it down with a glass of water. I needed to be alert and on my game tomorrow when we walked into the shelter with the warrant in hand and searched Tammy’s room.
Forcing myself to turn off my mind, I glanced at the clock for the last time—3:17. I groaned with the knowledge that I’d get less than four hours of sleep and rolled over onto my side.
I finally drifted off, but considering how groggy I felt when I opened my eyes, I hadn’t had enough sleep. I hoped that the smell of fresh coffee wasn’t a dream, and when Hanna walked in with two steaming cups, I knew it was a reality—a most-appreciated one.
“You’re a lifesaver, babe. Thank you.” I sat up with my pillows bunched behind me, gave her a kiss, and took the cup from her.
“When are you leaving today? You do have time for a good breakfast, don’t you?”
I blew over my cup and took a sip. “Of course I do. What’s on the menu?”
“Pancakes and sausage.”
“Sounds delicious. I’ll call Lutz and see when he needs me at the precinct. Frank and I have a search warrant to serve on the women’s shelter today. I’m sure whoever is there on weekends won’t be too stoked about us coming in.”
“Do they have something to hide?”
I shrugged and took another sip. “No idea, but the search might answer that question.”
I joined Hanna and Bandit in the kitchen and was about to fill Bandit’s food dish when Hanna said she’d already fed him.
I chuckled. “Is there anything you haven’t done?”
“Yep, refilled your coffee cup.” She grinned. “I know you didn’t sleep well last night, so just relax. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes.”
I walked to the slider and reached for the handle.
“Bandit has already gone out. He’s good.”
“Thanks, hon.”
“You bet.” Hanna filled my plate with four pancakes and three sausage links then brought it to the breakfast bar. “Maple syrup and butter?”
“Yes, please.”
After breakfast, I made the call to Lutz with another full cup of coffee at my side. “Hey, Boss, what’s the plan for today? Are we coming in for a full shift, or should Frank and I just hit the shelter right away?”
“Nope, come on in. We’ll have updates, see what took place overnight, and then you guys can head out. Tammy has no idea you’re showing up, right?”
“No, and I don’t actually know who’s in charge on weekends either.”
“Well, with the warrant, you don’t need anyone’s permission. We’ll talk about everything when you get here, and I’m planning to be at the precinct by eight thirty.”
“Okay, I’ll see you then.”
I apologized to Hanna for leaving, but I knew she had grown used to it. On occasion, she had to perform emergency surgeries at the animal hospital, so she was well aware that neither of us had the usual nine-to-five job.
After giving Hanna a kiss and petting Bandit behind the ears, I headed out in hopes of being home by dinnertime. I promised to keep Hanna posted on how my day was going.
Frank pulled into the precinct’s parking lot as I stepped out of my truck, and I waited for him to join me before walking in.
“You look like shit.”
“Thanks, and good morning to you too.”
Frank chuckled. “Dude, either you’re the luckiest guy alive and Hanna is keeping you up all night, or it sucks that you can’t get the killer out of your head.”
I swatted the air. “I should be so lucky. Nah, Hanna was asleep within minutes, but me? I think it was pushing three thirty before I turned off my mind.”
“Ouch. I’d have a raging headache.”
“I do.”
Frank pulled open the door, and we took the back stairs up to the bullpen. Our weekend detectives were Hank Bass and Tim Davis. They were rarely alone since at least two of us were usually called in on weekends to work ongoing cases. Four full- and part-time officers filled the bullpen on weekends too.
I addressed Tim as I took my seat. “Night shifters have anything to report on the killer?” I wasn’t holding my breath.
“Nope. Whoever he is, he’s always one step ahead of us, and without a description or an idea of who he’s after until it’s too late for us to do anything…”
“Yeah, I know—we’re just pissing in the wind.”
Lutz walked into the bullpen and took a seat on my guest chair. He stared at me a bit longer than I would have liked.
“What?”
“You look like shit.”
“Yeah, thanks. You’re the second person to say that today.”
“Who was the first?”
Frank chuckled in the background. “Hey, at least it wasn’t Hanna who said it.”
“Okay, I want you two to head to the shelter, and Tim and Hank, I want you guys to review every statement taken and every interview Henry and the rest of the day shift crew conducted over the last two days. See if anything stands out or if any of those people are connected. It never hurts to double-check our own work.”
“You got it, Commander.”
Lutz gave me a frown. “Not a damn thing found in the Lincoln house?”
“No, but the neighbor, Mr. Baker, said somebody had been there just before Frank and I showed up.”
“Tammy?”
“He wasn’t sure, but we’ll check the sign-out log when we get to the shelter. Although he did say there were two people and the car in front of the house wasn’t Tammy’s.”
Lutz frowned. “Then that would mean she caught a ride with someone else, if it was her, and after the four o’clock curfew.”
Frank brought up the fact that Marie Booth had said the shelter wasn’t a prison. “There is the chance she extended the curfew to a later time, and it’s something we’ll check out.”
“Okay, here’s the warrant for the shelter, and make sure you put it to good use,” Lutz said. “Search the entire building if you feel the need to.”
I slipped the folded warrant into my jacket pocket, then we headed for the door. “Copy that, Boss.”
Frank and I arrived at A New Life women’s shelter at nine. I doubted that anyone from administration would be present on a Saturday, but I was sure that as soon as we handed the warrant to the guard, Marie Booth would be contacted immediately.
I chuckled as I pressed the call button. “Ready for fireworks in September?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Frank said.
Seconds later, the guard’s face showed up on the screen.
“Detectives Mills and McCord here with a search warrant for the property. Buzz us in, please.” I held the warrant and my badge in front of the screen so the guard could see both. We waited as the guard hesitated, then the buzzer sounded.
Frank opened the door, and we entered. The guard had already come around his desk, and from being there before, I knew the inner door to the residents’ area was locked. I looked at the oversized key ring dangling from his belt loop as I handed the warrant to him.
“Everything is in order”—I looked at his name tag—“Reynolds.”
Frank glanced at me as the guard studied the document. I had to wonder if the guard had ever seen a warrant before.
“I’ll need to call Administrator Booth about this.”
“You can call her after you let us in. We don’t need her permission to search the premises.”
“Can I ask why you’re here?”
Frank took over. “Sure, but the only answer you’ll get is because we’re going to search Tammy Lincoln’s room and then, if necessary, the entire facility. We don’t have to tell you why.”
“So I should just let you in?”
“You don’t have much of a choice, Reynolds.” I tipped my head toward the door. “How does it go on weekends? Residents just do whatever they want in the confines of the facility?”
“Yes, but they do have visitors, and they’re allowed to leave as long as they sign out and then back in.”
I nodded. “We’ll be discreet. That is, unless we have reason to search the entire premises. Then everyone will have to leave.”
He rubbed his brow, and perspiration beaded up on his forehead.
“Is there a problem, Reynolds?”
“Only that Ms. Booth is going to be really mad.”
“Not your problem. Now, can we proceed?”
He stretched out the cabled key ring and unlocked the door. “Tammy’s room is number nine.” He pointed. “Go left at the end of the hall.”
“Appreciate it.”
Frank and I continued on. When we reached room number nine, I pressed my ear against the door.
“I hear the TV playing, so she’s gotta be inside.” I knuckled the door, and we waited.
Seconds later, the door opened. Tammy stood on the other side, wearing a bathrobe and a frown. “What the hell are you two doing here? It’s Saturday, and early, I might add.”
I pushed past her. “It isn’t that early, and we’re here to search your room.”
“You’re going to do what?”
Frank pointed at one of the chairs at the drop leaf table. “You heard Detective McCord. Have a seat and relax.”
She plopped down at the table and grabbed the landline phone. “I’m calling the guard so he can kick your asses out of here.”
“Knock yourself out.” I began opening drawers. “We have a search warrant for the entire building, and we’ll use it if necessary. You’ll sit still and let us do our job.”
Frank took over the questioning while I went through the dresser. “Where were you last night around seven o’clock?”
“Here.”
“Wrong answer. Try again.”
“I swear my car never left the lot.”
Frank wagged his finger at her. “Not what I asked. Who were you with, and why did you go to your house?”
“I can go to my house whenever I want. It’s mine, duh.”
“After curfew? Did Marie Booth okay it for you to leave?”
“I told you I didn’t go anywhere.”
Tammy had already gotten on my last nerve yesterday, and she wasn’t going to get a pass that day. “Guess I’ll as Ken Evans about that. You’d have to check out with him to come and go.” I tipped my head toward the door. “Frank, go take a look at the logbook.”
“You got this?”
“Yeah. Better yet, bring it back here, and we’ll take a look at it. The search warrant covers it too.”
Frank pushed off the wall he was leaning against and walked to the door. “Yep, I’ll be right back.”
Tammy snarled at me. “Do you really have to go through my underwear drawer? That’s invasion of privacy.”
“The warrant says otherwise, so I’m going through everything.”
“While searching for what?”
“I’ll know when I find it, but the last time I looked, I reported to Commander Lutz, not you.”
She cursed at me, huffed, then went silent.
Frank was back with the logbook in less than five minutes. “Jesse?”
I looked over my shoulder. “Yeah?”
“We’ve got a problem.”