CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

 

 

May 16, 2015

9 A.M.

McCall, Idaho

 

“Truck is fifteen minutes out,” Agent Munn said in Lott’s ear. Actually, he and Julia and Annie were all wired up with almost invisible communication links that if even noticed looked more like a hearing aid stuck deep in the ear.

Lott and Julia and Annie were all ambling down the rough sidewalk beside McCall’s main road, headed for the mortuary. The morning air still had a bite to it and the traffic on the main two-lane highway that ran through town was consistent.

All three of them had their service guns and badges on them, but well-hidden. Right at this point, Lott was very happy that the Las Vegas Chief of Police had allowed them to keep their badges and guns and work unofficially.

Granted, they were way out of jurisdiction, but considering they were working with the FBI at the moment, that made no difference.

And besides, Williams owned the police here, from everything Fleet had found. Or at least Williams owned the sheriff.

Lott forced himself to take a deep breath and let his nerves calm. The smell of pine trees, even in the middle of the small town, was strong, combined with some fish smells from the lake. He really liked it here.

“Ready?” Annie asked as they neared the two-story blue mortuary building sitting on a small rise above the shore of the lake. From the outside, the building looked more like an old remodeled church than anything else, only without a tall steeple.

“Ready,” both Lott and Julia said at the same time.

From the floor plans that Fleet had found, the office, viewing room, and main chapel were on the main floor.

A small one-bedroom apartment filled the street side of the second floor, allowing the tall ceilings of the chapel on the main floor to open out over the lake.

In the basement area was the cold storage and embalming rooms, along with another office. A door opened to a path on the basement level that led out to the lake and a nearby dock.

Casket storage was off the viewing area on the main floor and a large door opened to a driveway beside the chapel that allowed caskets to be rolled in and out easily. Lott had no doubt that would be where the delivery truck would roll up.

The building also had a casket-sized freight elevator for raising and lowering caskets with bodies in them from the embalming area up to the chapel area.

Lott turned and went up the sidewalk toward the large wooden double front door. Lott pulled the door open and held it for Julia and Annie.

His stomach was twisting more than he wanted to admit. It had been a long time since he had been up front going into a dangerous situation like this. And it had been a long time since he had felt this kind of fear and heightened senses that went with this kind of operation.

Inside, there was faint chapel music playing in the background and the inside was lit with dim lights and the heat was a little too high, giving the place a stuffy feel.

A fake smell of lilacs filled the air as well.

“Truck five minutes out,” Agent Munn said in their ears.

As the door closed behind them, a man came out of the office to the right, smiling. He wore a gray suit with a matching gray tie, black shoes, and a fake rose pinned to his lapel. His hair was thinning and he combed it back up and over the thinning spot.

Lott stepped forward, a massive fake smile on his face, his hand extended. “My name is Rick Guiss.”

“Wade Andrews,” the man said, shaking Lott’s hand.

Lott felt so disgusted, he almost pulled his hand away and hit the guy right there. But somehow he managed to keep his poker face and turn slightly. “My wife Betty and my daughter, Betty-Anne.”

Both Julia and Annie just nodded, but didn’t step forward to shake the pervert’s hand. Lott didn’t blame them in the slightest.

“We’re here to do a little shopping for caskets, set up some services for the two of us. Betty-Anne here insisted we get this out of the way.”

“And a very smart thing to do,” Andrews said, nodding.

“Truck has arrived,” Agent Munn said in their ears at the same moment a slight ding echoed through the mortuary.

Andrews nodded to them. “If you’ll excuse me for just a moment, that’s a delivery I need to take care of. Would you like to wait in my office?”

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Lott said, smiling, “we’d just like to kick a few tires on some caskets.”

“Dad,” Annie said, playing along and hitting him on the shoulder slightly.

“This is serious business, dear,” Julia said, giving him a fake stare to behave himself.

They had played it perfectly so far.

“Be my guest and feel free to look around,” Andrews said. “Chapel is through those doors and the showroom for various caskets is through the doors to the left of the chapel. This delivery will be bringing in a couple more caskets as well.”

Andrews nodded and turned toward the delivery door on the far side of the casket showroom.

“Cameras,” Lott whispered without pointing to the cameras fairly well hidden in both corners.

Both Annie and Julia nodded slightly, pretending to look around.

“No one else is in the building,” Agent Munn said in their ears. “We now have the camera feeds blocked and all communication from the mortuary cut off. Just let them get that casket into place with the dummy in it and the truck gone and you can take him.”

Lott liked the sound of that a great deal.

They went toward the casket showroom. At one point Julia pointed to some flower arrangement picture and then whispered to Lott. “I didn’t see any sign he was carrying a piece.”

“Let’s not take any chances,” Lott whispered.

Julia nodded and they went into the casket showroom filled with six caskets, all different colors and polishes. Three had their half-lids open, the other three were closed.

The wide doors on the other side of the room were standing open and Andrews and a truck driver were carefully wheeling one golden-toned casket in the door.

Lott knew, from the description, that was the one that was supposed to have the girl in it. Thank heavens they had rescued her in Seattle. Now there was no body there, just a dummy.

“Where do you want this one?” the driver asked.

Lott had no doubt that one question might clear the driver of being a part of this.

“On the elevator,” Andrews said.

The two moved the large golden casket directly to the elevator and Andrews hit the down button before going back to help the driver wheel out the other two caskets into the showroom.

Then as Lott was pretending to study one of the mahogany caskets, he saw Andrews sign for the delivery and thank the driver.

Lott turned his back to Andrews for a moment and whispered, “Fleet, Andrews signed for the delivery. That has to be a hell of a paper trail if he has been doing that for years.”

“Perfect,” Agent Munn said.

Andrews came toward them, smiling after he closed the large doors and bolted them. Annie had moved to the left of the room, Julia to the right of Lott.

Lott hated the sick look the man had and just pretending to be nice to the guy was about as hard as anything he had ever had to do.

“Seeing anything you like?” Andrews said, stopping directly in front of Lott.

Both women eased over behind him, still both pretending to look at caskets.

“Actually,” Lott said, “this will be a hard choice.”

“Truck is away,” Agent Munn said in their ears.

“But I have one thing I’ve really wanted to do when I came in here,” Lott said.

“Yeah, me too,” Julia said, laughing.

Julia’s laugh sounded odd and Andrews turned slightly toward her just as Lott kicked Andrews as hard as he could right in the groin.

Lott knew that the trick to such a kick was to pretend that the target was about halfway up the spine, which then meant the foot hit the actual target with full force.

Lott felt his foot and upper shin connect perfectly with Andrews’ soft genitals.

The force of Lott’s kick almost lifted the man off the ground.

Andrews went down hard on the thin, blue carpet, trying to breathe and holding his crotch.

Annie and Julia were on Andrews instantly, expertly yanking his hands behind his back and zip-tying them there. Then they quickly searched him as he struggled to catch even the slightest bit of air.

“He’s clean,” Annie said after patting down his pants cuffs.

“Target is down,” Lott said. “Send in the guards.”

“Perfect,” Agent Munn said in his ear.

Lott reached down and yanked the red-faced man to his feet. Andrews still hadn’t caught his breath and any movement seemed to be sending waves of pain through him.

Good, as far as Lott was concerned.

As Lott held Andrews between the caskets, facing the two women, Julia said, “That was some kick.”

“Thanks,” Lott said, smiling.

“How exactly did you do that?” Julia asked, smiling.

Lott laughed. “I just pretended I was trying to kick a spot about halfway up his back.”

Then, as Lott held Andrews, Julia said, “You mean like this?”

And she kicked Andrews in the groin even harder than Lott had done.

Andrews went instantly back to the floor in a silent scream.

“That was for Trish, you sick bastard,” Julia said, almost spitting on the man on the carpet.

Annie just laughed and shook her head. “You know, you two are made for each other.”

“We think so,” Julia said, smiling at Lott and winking.