We both turned our heads toward the sound near the overhead garage door.
Terry jerked his chin at me. “Sit down and don’t move.” After pocketing the service weapons, he walked over and investigated.
I watched as he approached the garage door. We knew what was going on. It wasn’t a surprise that SWAT would use the snake-camera tactic to see if we were in the garage.
“I’m not a cop, but I’m not stupid either.” Terry lifted his foot, stomped down on the camera, and crushed it.
“I guess you just told them where we’re at,” I said. “How do you think this is going to play out, Terry? Are you ready to spend the rest of your life in prison?”
He laughed. “I have two choices. Death now or living like I’m dead in prison. I’ve already made my decision.”
I didn’t want to hear what he was about to say. I knew it would involve me—and some ultimatum. “Where are Tommy and Laurie?”
He shrugged. “Shut up.”
“So terrorizing a pregnant woman is okay as long as she isn’t your wife? Katlyn didn’t ask for her fate, but Laurie is just as innocent. She doesn’t have anything to do with your hatred for the police force.”
“She’s married to a cop, isn’t she?”
“Where are they? Laurie needs to be with her children. They have other kids, you know.”
“I’m well aware of their family size.”
I persisted. “Tell me so we can get her home.”
Terry changed the subject. “Did you read the police transcripts and the coroner’s report for Katlyn?”
“No. I wasn’t part of the case, but you already knew that.”
“Read them. They’ll enlighten you.”
Terry told me to stand, so I did, then he placed the rifle on the garage floor and pulled both Glocks from his pockets.
“What are you doing?”
“I told you, I’ve made my decision. Living out my life in prison is worse than being dead. If you want to know where Detective Sanders and his wife are being held, you’ll have to ask my neighbor.”
I huffed in impatience. “Don’t play games with me. The police have interviewed every person in a two-block area.”
Terry chuckled. “And you people think you’re competent. Obviously, everyone hasn’t been spoken to, or the detective’s wife would be relaxing at home right now with her kids.” Terry leaned against the workbench that sat along the wall and let out a deep sigh. “I’ve enjoyed the few times we exchanged our life stories, Jesse, even as sad as they were. And it’s a shame you turned your back on me at the end.” He pushed off the workbench, racked the slides on both handguns, and walked toward me.
“Which one is yours, Detective McCord?”
I shook my head. “They’re both the same gun.”
“Here, look closer.” He handed one Glock to me then stepped away. “You have several choices, and I’d advise you to think rationally. I’m going to shoot the gas tanks and blow us both up, or you’re going to pull the trigger and kill me.”
“No way! You aren’t going to force me to shoot you.”
“Then I guess we both die.” He took aim at the gas tank, and I made the only split-second decision possible. The blast from my Glock 22 reverberated throughout the garage.
“You son of a bitch! Why did you make me do that!” I dropped my gun and knelt at Terry’s side, checking for a pulse, but there wasn’t one. Terry Lasko was dead. The gun’s grip was clenched in his hand, and he had never touched the trigger. He had no intentions of shooting anything. I swore as I pushed off my knee and stood. I was exhausted and angry. Nothing had gone right, and the world was not a better place. The system had failed Terry and everyone he’d shot. Trudging to the garage door, I yelled out to whoever was on the other side. “It’s me, Jesse, and I’m coming out.”
Exiting the gate, I saw an ambulance standing by, two SWAT teams, and dozens of officers. I wondered if that many people showed up when Katlyn made her fateful 911 emergency call about an intruder in their home.
Lutz and Everly ran to my side. “Where’s Lasko?”
I tipped my head toward the house. “In the garage, and he’s dead. We need Lawry here. Reynolds and Jackson are inside the house, too, both deceased. I’ll explain how Lasko died later, but right now, I need to speak to the other two officers who were canvassing the neighborhood.”
A frown creased Lutz’s forehead. “But—”
I held up my hand. “It’s urgent, and the only way we’ll find Tommy and Laurie.”
“Okay.” Lutz yelled out to the group of officers standing by. “Who canvassed the neighborhood with Jackson and Reynolds?”
Two patrol officers approached us. “What can we do for you, sir?” asked an officer who introduced himself as Brewster.
I addressed him and the officer at his side. “You were doing the knock and talks?”
“That’s correct, Detective McCord,” Officer Deacon White said.
“Did you take note of the knocks that went unanswered?”
“Yes, sir.” Brewster pulled the slip of paper from his breast pocket and unfolded it. “They’re listed by house number, starting on this street and ending on the next block.” He handed it to me, and I took a look. I remembered Terry’s words—If you want to know where Detective Sanders and his wife are being held, you’ll have to ask my neighbor. I pointed at the house with the handicap ramp that led to the front door. “This slip of paper has that address noted.”
“Yes,” White said. “Nobody answered that door, but we went back to every house on that list just forty minutes ago. Still nobody home at that address.”
I did a visual scan of the street, and a handicap transport van was sitting behind the police barricade. “There!” I pointed. “Get over there and find out if the neighbor is inside that van.”
Commander Adams ordered two of his units to take care of that task.
Everly raised his brows at me. “What’s that about?”
“Terry told me his neighbor knows where Tommy and Laurie are. We need that information now, and I’d assume that’s the neighbor he was talking about.”
The officers yelled back and waved their hands. “It’s him, Lasko’s neighbor.”
“Let that van through,” I yelled.
The officers who were securing the street lowered the tape. The van pulled ahead and stopped at my side. The driver climbed out, opened the side door, and waited as an older gentleman maneuvered his wheelchair onto the handicap lift. Once it was lowered to the ground, the man wheeled off and stopped next to me.
“I was told you need to speak to me,” the man said with a slight slur.
I assumed he was a victim of a stroke. “Yes, you’re Terry Lasko’s neighbor and live where that ramp is?”
“That’s right.”
“Your name is?”
“Lyle Sontag. What’s this about, sir, and what’s going on at Terry’s house?”
I ignored his last question. We needed information about Tommy. “Terry told me you know where he may have taken a friend of mine earlier today. Possibly on a lake south of here forty minutes or so?”
Lyle smiled. “Sure, that’s my cabin. Can’t use it anymore since the stroke. A few years back, I told Terry that he and Katlyn could go there whenever they needed to get away. He keeps it maintained for me, so we both win.”
“Yes, that’s the place we’re looking for. We need an address for that cabin. It’s urgent.”
Lyle rattled off the address and gave us directions to the cabin. We were on our way. Everly pulled his phone from his shirt pocket and called the Dolton sheriff’s office substation. “I need to speak to the highest-ranking official immediately. It’s about the missing detective and his wife.” He gave the update and address of the cabin while I drove with lights and sirens engaged. Through the rearview mirror, I saw Lutz, Commander Kidman from Tommy’s district, and Randall in the cruiser behind me.
We got to the scene just before sunset. The deputies had arrived before us and found Tommy and Laurie. Both were a sight for sore eyes, and we embraced them when we entered the cabin. They were clearly rattled but physically unharmed.
“Thank God you’re okay.” I wiped my brow and took in a calming breath. “We need EMTs to check you guys out before we leave.”
“An ambulance is already en route, Detective McCord.”
I gave the deputy a thank-you nod. We learned that Tommy was found in the boathouse and Laurie in a bedroom. They had been restrained for the better part of the day.
“Our kids have to be frantic,” Laurie said as she wiped her eyes.
Commander Kidman spoke up. “They’re fine. Your neighbor, Mary Phillips, is watching them.”
Laurie let out her breath. “I’m so thankful.” She clenched Tommy’s hand as he dabbed her tears.
The sirens echoed through the thick foliage of the tall pines.
“Sounds like the EMTs have arrived to check you two out. It shouldn’t be long and we’ll be heading back.”
Everly spoke up. “Will you be up to coming back to the task force tomorrow, Tommy? We need to go over everything we have on the Terry Lasko case.” He rubbed his forehead. “And believe me, it’s going to take some time.”
Tommy nodded. “I’ll be there.”