J.T. scanned the area to the north and south of the motel. He looked down several side streets then waved me forward.
“I don’t see a black Ford anywhere. Let’s talk to the clerk.”
J.T. rounded the corner then motioned all was quiet on the front side of the building. We entered the office together and approached the counter.
A young man that looked no older than twenty-five sat behind the counter. He glanced up for a second when we walked in then went back to staring at his phone.
“Hate to disturb you and all,” J.T. said as he pulled out his badge and flashed it in the kid’s face.
“Oh, sorry, man.” He stood up, nearly tripping over the stool at his side, and looked around.
“Something wrong?”
“Are you the guy, I mean the agent, that called earlier?”
“That would be correct. Your name is?”
“Jessie Brill.”
J.T. stuck out his hand. “Agent Harper here, and my partner is Agent Monroe. What are you nervous about, Jessie?”
“Just that big guy. I don’t need any trouble.”
“Has he caused trouble?”
“No, but you’re the FBI. Apparently he did something wrong.”
“Okay, we’ll make this quick, then.” J.T. pulled a picture of Max out of his inner jacket pocket. “Is this the man that’s staying here? Look at it closely. I want you to be sure.”
I kept my eye on the outside walkway and the parking lot as J.T. questioned the clerk.
“Yeah, that’s him.”
J.T. glanced my way, his eyebrows raised. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to say yes just because we’re asking.”
“I’m sure. It’s him.”
“Did you see him today or notice him leave?”
“I mind my own business. I don’t pay much attention to anyone.”
J.T. jerked his chin at the cell phone sitting on the counter. “And I’m sure the phone helps keep you occupied. Listen closely, Jessie. We want you to go knock on his door.”
“What the hell for?”
“Ask if he needs clean towels. We just want to establish if he’s in the room or not. He isn’t going to do anything to you from the other side of the door. Now go on, we’ll only be ten feet away.”
Jessie rounded the counter and grabbed a handful of towels, just in case. J.T. tipped his head toward the door. We followed to the wall between rooms one and two then waited.
Jessie knocked on door three and called out loudly, “Need any clean towels, sir?” He looked in our direction.
“Don’t look at us,” I whispered. “Knock again.”
He rapped harder on the door. “Sir, do you need any clean towels?”
J.T. waved him back. “Okay, Jessie, here’s what we’re going to do. We need you to unlock the door and let us peek in. We aren’t going to mess anything up, and we’ll only be in there for a second. We have to know that he hasn’t left for good. Once we establish that his belongings are still inside, we’ll have the local sheriff’s department watch this room. You won’t even know they’re here, but they will be. Don’t act nervous, and don’t do anything out of the ordinary. You won’t be in danger at any time. This motel is going to be covered at all times. Got it?”
“I got it, sir.”
“Good, now go ahead and open the door.”
Jessie fumbled with the large key ring he pulled out of his pocket. He pushed the number three key into the lock then backed away from the door. J.T. covered his hand with his sleeve and turned the knob. I opened my jacket and kept my hand on my gun. With his foot, J.T. pushed the door, and it slowly creaked open. The TV playing was the only light that illuminated the room. The unmade bed had a crumbled potato chip bag lying near the pillow, and a few clothing items draped the chairs next to the small table. We backed out and closed the door.
“Okay, it looks like he could possibly return. Here’s my card, Jessie, and make sure to call me if anything else comes to mind. We appreciate your help, and don’t worry, I’m calling the local authorities right now. They’ll be watching that room day and night.”
We returned to the car and climbed in.
I fastened my seat belt. “Shit.”
“What?”
“We forgot to call Spelling. He’s probably pacing a hole in his carpet as we speak. I’ll call him now.”
“I’ll check on my phone for the nearest sheriff’s substation. I doubt if we’re within the city limits anymore.”
I listened as Spelling’s phone rang in my ear. He answered on the fourth ring.
“Sorry we forgot to call earlier, boss. We got caught up in surveilling the motel.”
“No problem. What did you find out?”
“The desk clerk confirmed the man is Max. He knocked on his motel door and nobody answered, so he let us in. Some of Max’s belongings are still inside. There are three cars in the lot, none are the Ford, and there aren’t any black Fords on the neighboring streets. He’s out doing something right now, but it appears he’ll be back.”
“Okay, is that the sheriff’s department jurisdiction?”
“We think so. J.T. is checking on that now.”
“I’ll take care of it. We need someone on that room around the clock. Go ahead and come back to the office.”
“Got it. We’ll see you in a bit.” I clicked off. “Spelling wants us back. He’s going to take care of putting somebody on the motel.”
“Good enough.” J.T. shifted into Drive, and we headed back to Glendale.
We reached the office at six o’clock and had a short briefing before we parted ways for the night. Spelling explained that the motel was heavily covered, and as soon as Max returned, he’d be taken into custody. Spelling didn’t want any innocent people in harm’s way, so taking Max by surprise seemed to be the best option. I agreed. Spelling had never had a face-to-face with Max, but knowing that dozens of people died at his hands, including officers of the law, made Spelling that much more cautious. Max had nothing to lose.
“If Max is sighted and taken into custody, you’ll be the first to know, Jade. I promise you that. Round up your loved ones and stay together. Safety in numbers, you know. It’s the smart thing to do.”
“I’ll call Jack and have him notify the officers covering my mom’s house. They can transport her and her husband to my place. We’ll stay hunkered down until this fiasco is over with. Washburn County Sheriff’s Department is watching the main roads coming into North Bend, and the PD is on high alert. They’re all familiar with the Sims’ violent history. When I last checked in, they said everything was quiet.”
“Sounds good, and keep me posted if you hear anything. I’ll do the same.”
“Good night, sir.” I put my jacket on and zipped it up.
“Good night, Jade.” Spelling patted J.T. on the shoulder. “Go home, Harper, and get some rest. With any luck, we’ll have good news by morning.”
J.T. and I swiped our badges and left the building. Night had fallen, and a cold chill swept across the parking lot. I looked up. Thick clouds made the sky look even darker. J.T. followed my eyes.
“Looks like snow.”
“Hush. Those are fighting words.”
He chuckled. “It’s inevitable, Jade. You live in Wisconsin.”
I was quiet for a minute. My mind had gone back to that dark night last summer. “There are a lot of things that are inevitable, J.T.”
“Are you getting philosophical on me, Monroe?”
“Nope. Just stating the facts.” I reached my car and popped the door lock.
“I still can’t believe you drive this thing. I’ll admit, it looks like fun.”
I grinned. “As opposed to your Corolla?”
He glanced at the car parked next to mine and frowned.
“Cat got your tongue?” I laughed.
“It gets good mileage.”
I rolled my eyes and gave him a sympathetic pat on the arm. “Night, J.T.”
Inside the car and buckled up, I backed my Mustang Cobra out of the space and dropped it into first gear. The tires squawked when I let off the brakes and gunned it. I saw J.T. shake his head when I looked in the rearview mirror.
Once I reached the interstate, I called Jack. I wanted everyone at my house where it was safe.
“Hey, partner, what’s up?”
“Driving home. We have a lot to talk about, Jack. Can you round everyone up at my house? I’d like the officers that are sitting on my mom’s house to bring them to mine. I’d feel a lot better if everyone was under one roof. I’ll even order pizza delivery.”
“Yeah, sure, you don’t have to ask me twice. Just make sure you order from Anton’s.”
“No problem.” I clicked my blinker and scooted over two lanes to my right. I exited on the Highway 60 ramp and turned left. “Have you talked to Amber or Kate?”
“Actually both, and I believe Amber already went home. Kate is working until seven forty-five or so.”
“Why’s that?”
“She’s covering for Silver until then. I’ll let her know to come to your house when she finishes up.”
“Okay, thanks. I should be home in twenty minutes.”
I slowed when I turned in to Ashbury Woods and downshifted into second gear. I saw Jack’s car, already parked on the far right side of my driveway when I reached my house. I smiled. Jack knew I parked my car in the garage on the left side. A squad car sat across the street against the curb. I shifted into Park and got out. The driver’s side window rolled down as I approached the cruiser.
“Hey, guys,” I joked, “are you keeping my house safe?”
“Sure thing, Jade, and your mom and stepdad are inside with Jack and your sister.”
“Appreciate it. Everything been quiet in town today?”
“So far.” The cruiser’s radio squawked in the background, and Officer Wilkins dialed it down. “Sheriff’s department reports the same. Lieutenant Clark has been keeping us abreast of everything on the outskirts of North Bend.”
“Good to know. Come on in when the pizza delivery guy shows up. I ordered plenty for everyone.”
“Thanks, Jade.”
I patted the sill of the open car window. “See you in a bit.” I walked back to my driveway, got in my car, and pulled it into the garage. I lowered the overhead as I stepped into the mudroom.
“Hi, guys, I’m home.”
Spaz ran to me and circled my legs several times, causing static and a nice layer of cat hair on my dark pants.
“Hey, thanks a lot. Dumb cat.”
“Don’t call Spaz dumb.” Amber scooped up her beloved cat and nuzzled her face against his. He hissed.
I chuckled. “I told you he was dumb. Hi, Mom. Hi, Bruce.” I leaned over and kissed my mom’s cheek. Bruce only got a smile. Jack rose from the couch and walked to the table where the rest were gathered. I punched his arm. “Hey, partner. I hope you’re all hungry. Pizza should be here soon. I invited Wilkins and Finley to join us.”
“Oh, they’ve been so nice to us, honey.”
“That’s good to know, Mom, and they should be, it’s their job. Anyway, we need to have a serious conversation tonight. That’s the reason I wanted everyone here in one place, plus this house is very secure.”
The ringing doorbell interrupted my initial speech.
“I’ll get it,” Amber said.
“Are you paying too?”
“No, I don’t make the big bucks like you do.”
I chuckled. “Move aside, sister. I’ll get it, but you can lend a hand.” I opened the door to a deliveryman holding four large boxes of pizza. I gave him three twenties and told him to keep the change. I handed the boxes off to Amber and walked out to the sidewalk to get the officers’ attention. I whistled, and they flashed their headlights then exited the car. “C’mon, guys,” I said. “Grab some pizza while it’s hot.”
With everyone seated around the table and munching on pizza slices, I explained how serious the situation was. Max was somewhere in the area, we all needed to be on high alert, and with a good degree of luck, the nightmare also known as Max Sims would be over with by tomorrow.
“Jack, what do you know from the sheriff’s department side?”
“We have Highway 45 north and south coming into North Bend covered, and Highway 33 east and west covered too. Nobody matching Max’s description has entered the city via those routes.”
My mom rubbed her furrowed brow. “There’s a million ways to get into North Bend, Jack.”
“That’s true, ma’am, but we’re only so large of a department. North Bend PD is keeping the city streets under surveillance too.”
Officer Finley agreed. “North Bend has been quiet all night, and nobody has reported any disturbances, Mrs. Sommers.”
“Without going into too much detail, Mom, we’ve tracked Max to a motel on the northern border of Milwaukee County. The property is under heavy surveillance. His personal belongings were still in the room as of this afternoon. The officers have been briefed, and they know to apprehend him as soon as he returns.”
My mom sighed, clearly relieved. “That’s reassuring. We all know what—”
“Mom, please,” I interrupted, “just eat your pizza.”
I noticed Jack glance at the clock on the microwave. I looked over my shoulder and checked the time too.
“You did call Kate earlier, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, but I’ll call again. She should be heading back to the station anytime now.”
Jack pulled his phone out of his pants pocket and dialed. He nodded at me when she answered. I sucked in a deep breath and let it out quietly. I didn’t want everyone to know I was on edge.
“Hey, what’s your ETA? You better get here before I eat all the pizza.” Jack laughed. “Okay, I promise we’ll save you some. Sounds good.” He clicked off.
“When should we expect her?” I asked.
“Pretty soon. She said she had one more pass to do then she was heading back. Silver called her and said he was at the station.”
I tore off another piece of pizza and dug in.