RUN FASTER: A Hallie James Mystery (The Hallie James Mysteries Book 2) Read online

  "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help," Jessie said with a sigh.

  "Are you sure, you're OK to work. You look tired."

  "I'd rather work and stay busy," Jessie insisted.

  "OK. I'm going to the jail to talk to Andy at ten."

  "But I was told nobody could get in until Saturday afternoon." Jessie's eyes looked worried.

  "I'm going with Karl Beyer. He's telling them, I'm a consultant on the case."

  Which is true, we have a contract with his firm, " Jessie said with a hint of a smile. Hope is a wonderful thing.

  "If you can, keep my schedule light for the next few days," I said.

  "I won't make any new appointments for this week,” Jessie said as we both turned toward a scream from the break room.

  It sounded like Poppy. We both ran back the hall, to see if she was alright.

  We found her crying and pointing into a cupboard. From her expression, I expected to find a severed finger. But it was just a mouse, caught in a trap. I'd asked Ben to set some traps after finding tiny turds in the silverware drawer.

  "I'll get rid of it," Jessie offered.

  I grabbed a white, plastic, supermarket bag. While Jessie opened the trap, I held the bag open for the dead mouse. Then Jessie tied the ends of the bag shut, and I held open the lid of the trash can. She dropped the bag inside and went to the sink to wash her hands.

  "Hey, I'm back," Ben's voice called from the reception area.

  "Coffee's here." Linda popped her head into the break room.

  "Come on, Poppy. Grab your tea, and let's go see what goodies Ben brought back," I said.

  "That poor little mouse," Poppy said with tears in her eyes. But she followed us out to sit by the fireplace.

  I told Ben what happened as he handed me my mocha.

  "Sorry, Poppy. But I had to do something; mice pee and poop everywhere. And they chew holes in walls, destroy insulation, and start fires by chewing on wiring," Ben explained gently.

  "But he was so cute. Did you see his little face and paws?"

  Suddenly, there was a noise from the rear of the building. It was a tapping that grew into a rattle. The back door was kept locked. Curious, I got up to investigate. Everyone followed me back the hallway.

  I followed the sound into the breakroom. There, the plastic trash can was jumping, like something wanted out and was pissed off about it.

  "I thought the mouse was dead," I said to Jessie

  "Looked like it was to me." Jessie did a palms up. "It wasn't moving."

  The can started to shake and rattle again.

  "Zombie mouse!” Poppy screamed. "Don't let it bite you!" She ran into her office, slamming the door behind her.

  "That girl isn't right in the head," Linda said.

  Ben, Jessie, and I chuckled. The trash can continued hopping around like a jumping bean. Ben picked it up and looked carefully inside.

  "It's not a zombie, Poppy," he called. "Come here and look, it's still alive. It must have just been knocked out."

  "Or faking it, in front of the big scary humans," Jessie added.

  Poppy's door opened a crack. "Are you sure?"

  "Yeah, damn it." Ben looked inside the can again. "Now, I'm going to have to kill it."

  "No!" Poppy flew out of her office and grabbed the can out of Ben's hands. "I'll take it outside and let it go."

  "It'll just freeze to death or come back inside," Ben said and reached to take the garbage can back. "It's kinder to kill it."

  "No!" With her slight form, Poppy shielded the can from Ben's grasp “I'll take him home with me." She gave Ben a defiant glare and marched into her office with the trash can. Her door closed behind her again, and the lock clicked.

  "Can I yell, ‘I was wrong, it is a zombie mouse?’” Ben chuckled.

  I smiled and went into my office.

  My nine o'clock appointment was five minutes late. It was a woman wanting a thorough background check, on the girl her son wanted to marry. She seemed like the mother-in-law from hell type, but I told her I would have a report on the girl by the weekend. She seemed miffed that she wouldn't have it in her hands when she left.

  I went to the bathroom to freshen up before putting on my coat and gloves.

  Karl was waiting in his car, outside the office door. I slid into the passenger seat and buckled up.

  "I called the jail and told them that I was coming with a consultant, to speak to Andy." There shouldn't be any problems," Karl said. "And I had my assistant make a copy of my files on Andy's case. I'll ask him if it's OK for you to have them."

  I nodded. I had confidentially issues in my work, too. If not, I'd tell my last client's son and his fiancé, about mommy dearest.

  Yeah, I shouldn't judge, just because I found the woman abrasive. Maybe the girl would turn out to be a black widow. But, whatever the search discovered, I was obligated to give the woman the truth.

  The jail was on the other side of main street, a block from the police station. Karl has great parking Karma, a space opened up directly across from the jail as he turned the corner. Karl claimed the space, and we were soon inside.

  I'd never been inside Herville's one-hundred and fifty-year-old jail. From the outside, it was an imposing stone building, reminding me of a small castle. Inside, it was remodeled to look like any modern building. There was a guard behind Plexiglas, who’d buzzed us inside.

  We signed in and were instructed to put our coats, and my purse into one of the lockers, in a small alcove. I'd expected this and had left my gun at the office. We put our things inside a locker, and I pocketed the key.

  We were buzzed through another locked door and patted down by another guard. Then we were led to a small room, where Andy sat at a metal table.

  "Don't try to touch him or be alarmed by the shackles," Karl said quietly.

  I nodded and stepped inside. I wanted to scream when I saw the shackles on his wrists and ankles. He looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep lately. And his light blonde hair that he'd always kept so neat, was greasy and needed combed. His complexion looked sallow in the orange jumpsuit, and he needed a shave.

  "Thanks for helping, Hallie," he said.

  "We're going to find the truth and get you out of here, Andy. I promise." I sat down across from him.

  "I know you will." Andy tried to smile. "And take care of Jess. Tell her that I said I love her, and I'm sorry for this mess."

  "She knows it's not your fault, and she's doing OK. She loves you too," I said.

  "We need to get some work done. We only have a half hour," Karl said. "Andy, do I have your permission to share all files, pertaining to your case, with James Investigations?" Karl took a document from his briefcase and slid it in front of Andy.

  "Of course," Andy said and signed the paper without reading it.

  "OK. Andy, tell me what happened, Friday night." I borrowed a pen and paper from Karl's briefcase

  "I was on patrol, and I thought I'd do a loop up the highway. I turned around at the county line and headed back toward town. I just passed my brother's place, and I saw the car ahead of me, swerving all over the road. I hit the lights and siren to make sure the guy wasn't shit-faced."

  I nodded as I caught up on my notes. I tried to smile, but this situation was just so awful. "OK, then what?"

  "The guy stopped, and I approached the vehicle. But before I got to the driver's side window, I saw the guy move like he was reaching for a weapon. So, I pulled mine and put it in his face. He froze with the weapon in his hand, and I called for backup on my shoulder mic. The guy gave up, and threw his weapon out the window. I got him out of the car, on the ground, and handcuffed."

  "Good work," I said.

  Andy sighed. "I didn't know who he was, but I knew he was hiding something. So, I put him in the back of my car and searched his. I thought I had my body camera on, but I must have only clicked once."

  I knew what he was talking about. The body cameras weren't on for their entire shift. It would creat
e too much footage. Instead, an officer pushed a button twice (a double click, to avoid turning it on by accident) when the cameras were needed. There was no delete button. Once something was recorded, it was uploaded into the cloud.

  It was unfortunate his camera wasn't on. It would have shown him finding the drugs. Also, the fact that he didn't turn it on, would be a strike against him with a jury.

  I looked into Andy's eyes and smiled encouragingly. "Then what?"

  "I looked in the glove box and found hundreds of empty, tiny, zip top baggies. When I picked one up and saw a cheetah, and the words Run Faster printed on it, I knew I had to search the rest of the car. Those baggies have been floating around the state for over a year."

  I opened my mouth to ask what the baggies were, but Karl stopped me.

  "Just listen," Karl said.

  "I searched the rest of the passenger area and found just the usual crap. But in the trunk, there was a green garbage bag, wrapped around a two-quart size baggie. That baggie was full of what looked like ground glass."

  "Crystal meth," I said.

  "Yep," Andy said. "This stuff is way different from the shake and bake, we usually see around here. When I got it back to the station, it weighed a little over four ounces."

  "Holy shit," I breathed.

  "With twenty-eight grams in an ounce, and a hundred bucks a gram on the street, it was worth over eleven grand," Andy said proudly. "All that garbage off the streets."

  "What else happened at the station?" I leaned forward anxiously.

  "I filled out my paper work, marked an evidence bag, and sealed the drugs inside," Andy took a deep breath and continued. "I held it up to show Jason Brady, and I told him I was locking it up in the evidence locker. He called me a show boater, and we laughed. I came back to my desk after that, and he helped me processed the perp.

  He was still handcuffed to a bench, and I wanted him in lockup before I went home. When Jason and I went through his wallet, I found his driver's license. Before that, I didn't know his name.

  And, I didn't know he was an old friend of Hank's until Kasey told me the next morning. I'd heard Hank mention a guy named Chet a few times, but I'd never met him or knew his last name."

  I made a note to ask Hank more about Marlowe.

  "After Karl pissed off Kasey and got me released, I stopped to talk to my parents. I knew they'd have heard, and I didn't want them to worry. We ate lunch, and I drove back to Jessie's house. Kasey was there, waiting for me. He arrested me for murder, right in front of Jessie! Then he took me back to lock up."

  "Do you know why Kasey's so quick to blame you?" I asked.

  "I think it's because the army taught me how to kill a man, in the same way that Marlowe was killed," Andy said with a grimace.

  "I forgot, you were in the army too." I nodded.

  "Special forces," Andy said proudly. "Airborne."

  I heard the guards in the hallway getting restless. "Anything else against you?"

  "Nothing that I know of, but Kasey is a lair, sneak, and a cheat."

  "I remember," I said sourly. "Who discovered that the drugs were missing from the evidence locker?"

  "Chief Woods, the next morning," Andy replied. "I called him Friday night after the bust, but he was in bed. He told me to log them into evidence, and he'd be in the next morning."

  "And who else was in the police station from Friday night until the next morning?" I had my pen ready for Andy's reply.

  "Well, Jason was on shift with me. Phil Stewart and Myron Banner had the graveyard shift. And I think Kevin Grady and Kate Lowry were on days the next morning."

  I wrote down every name. I'd have Poppy run checks on them before I talked to them.

  The guards told us our time was up.

  "I'd hug you if I could," I told Andy. "But don't worry, we'll get you out of here."

  Andy nodded. Thanks, Hallie. See ya."

  "See ya," I said. And I followed the guard out.

  FIVE

  Back at the office, I went straight to Jessie. I told her Andy was fine, and he'd sent her his love. Also, I asked her to call Chief Woods, and ask if he would meet with me to talk, later today. Then I found Ben sitting in his office with an ice pack on his head.

  "What happened to you?" I moved his hand, so I could see his injury.

  "I went into Poppy's office to ask her if she wanted to order something for lunch, and she hit me with her purse," Ben said. "She must carry a brick in the damned thing."

  I gingerly felt the small knob, rising on Ben's forehead. "I'll speak to her. Do you want to go to the ER?"

  "Nah, I'll live," Ben said. "Just tell Poppy, I'm not a mouse murdering fiend."

  "She can be a screwball, but her heart's in the right place. What are you getting for lunch?"

  "I was gonna have Gina's deliver." Ben held up a menu from the pizzeria.

  "I'm in," I said. Gina's had the best Italian food in town. "I'll split a pizza with somebody, or get me a chicken parmesan sub. "I'll go remind Poppy of my, 'no violence toward your fellow employees,’ policy."

  "Good," Ben said, rubbing his head. "I think she missed the memo."

  I left Ben's office and knocked on the door across the hall. "Poppy, it's Hallie," I called. I didn't try to open the door.

  I heard the lock click and the door opened an inch. One of Poppy's dark brown eyes scanned the hall before she opened the door.

  "He just wanted to know if you want to order lunch from Gina's. I promise, Ben's not going to hurt your mouse," I said, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. She stepped back and let me enter her office.

  This room had been decorated with cream walls and cinnamon and brown trim. But Poppy's side of the room was splashed with color. She'd hung flower garlands and bright posters of animals, flowers, and sunrises. On her desk, was a big picture of her and Woody in a rainbow-colored frame.

  "I'm sorry if I hurt Ben," she said sincerely. "I didn't hear him knock, and he scared me."

  "Well, he's got a lump on his head. What's so heavy in your purse?"

  "My crystal!" Poppy reached for her purse.

  I backed up a step.

  "I hope it didn't crack." Poppy rooted around in her oversized bag, finally pulling out a fist-sized, translucent, blue rock.

  It was very pretty, but I wouldn't want to get hit on the head with it.

  Poppy examined it closely. “A blue crystal is good for keeping your energy level up. It looks OK,” she said relieved.

  "It looks in better shape than Ben's head," I pointed out.

  "I'll go tell him, I'm sorry." She looked over her shoulder at the trash can. "I was just protecting Rob."

  "Rob, the zombie mouse," I chuckled and went to tell Ben what Poppy had named her new friend.

  After Poppy and Ben made peace, I went to my office and typed up a memo requesting searches on the cops Andy had mentioned. After sending it to Poppy's agency email, there was a knock on my open office door.

  I looked up from my laptop to see a woman in a red overcoat, standing in my doorway. She had dark cocoa skin and a warm smile. Her blue/black hair was cut into layers, longer in the front, framing her pretty face, and short in the back.

  "I'm Hallie James," I said standing up and walking towards her. "Can I help you?"

  "I'm Rayna, Rayna Paynton. She extended her hand. "Poppy and Woody told me, you're looking for another computer person."

  "Yes, I am," I shook her hand. "Please, come in and sit down." I led her to my couch."

  Rayna reached into a messenger bag and handed me her resume. "I have a bachelor's degree in computer science, and I graduated with a 3.9 GPA."

  I scanned the pages she handed me. It was very impressive. "You're from Fairton," I said. Fairton is a town a few miles northeast of Herville.

  Rayna nodded. "But I was born in Pittsburgh. My family moved to Fairton when I was ten. My father's a doctor at Herville Medical Center. After I graduated, I moved back home. So, I'm living with my parents for now."

 
; "Has Poppy told you anything about her job with us."

  She nodded. "It sounds great."

  I had a good feeling about Rayna, and her credentials were impressive. I handed her a paper with her starting salary, the raise schedule, and the agency list of benefits. "If you want the job, you're hired," I said.

  Rayna perused the paper in her hand and smiled. "When do you want me to start?"

  "As soon as you're available," I said.

  "I'm available now, or is that too soon."

  "No, it's perfect," I stood and had her follow me into Jessie's office.

  "Jessie, this is Rayna. She's going to work with us as a computer operator and tech person. Would you get her into our system and introduce her to everyone?"

  "Sure," Jessie said. "Welcome aboard, Rayna."

  Leaving Rayna in capable hands, I went back to my office. Ben was waiting with a large, extra cheese, mushroom, onion, and sausage pizza. I grabbed a slice on a paper plate and dug in.

  "We have twenty minutes until our appointment with the insurance claim examiner," I reminded Ben.

  "What do they want to hire us for?" Ben handed me another slice of pizza and took one for himself.

  "A store in Bloomsbury had a customer slip on a wet floor, and he's filed a law suit against them for two hundred grand." I replied. "They probably need us to investigate the plaintiff. We'll want to see if he’s brought complaints against other businesses, and maybe put him under surveillance, to see if he's as injured as he claims."

  Ben chewed his pizza thoughtfully. "Do a lot of people fake injuries for money?"

  "Yep, and it makes it harder for the people who genuinely, get hurt." I popped the last of my second piece into my mouth and wiped my face. "No time for more, stick me a piece in the fridge for later. I'm going to go brush my teeth, they're coated in cheese."

  By three o'clock, I was done with my appointments. I'd sent Ben to the store in Bloomsbury, to take pictures of where the fall happened. I asked him to look for sources of moisture because it wasn't clear where the puddle came from that caused the customer’s fall.