Travesty, p.15
Travesty, page 15
She waved away my comment and headed for the basement stairs.
“Good night, guys,” I said. “See you in the morning.”
Chapter 46
A sliver of light peeked through the blinds, and the half-opened window allowed the morning song of a cardinal to fill the hotel room where Jesse slept. He opened his eyes and listened. Sounds of traffic on the nearby freeway told him it must be around seven o’clock. Milwaukee commuters were heading to work.
He rubbed his eyes and reached for his cell phone. After plumping two pillows behind his back, he sat up in bed and checked his in-box.
It’s weird that Jenna never sent me one photo from Fallingwater or even texted me while she was gone. Why she ever agreed to leave Madison and move to North Bend is beyond me. If she was smart, she would have never left Chicago.
Jesse climbed out of bed, started the four-cup coffeemaker, and then headed for the shower. He’d stop for breakfast then make his way to Jenna’s house. Jesse thought of texting her to say he was coming, but a surprise visit would reveal more. He’d see up close and personal what kind of living conditions Matt had subjected his sister to.
By nine o’clock, Jesse had finished his super slam breakfast special, and he drove east on Washington Street, away from the area of restaurants, retail space, and his hotel room. He turned left onto Main Street and followed that to Barton Avenue. He had never been invited to Jenna’s trailer and chalked it up to her not wanting a confrontation between her husband and brother. The last time they had gotten together, over the Christmas holidays, Jenna had made up a story about working late and met Jesse at a restaurant off the freeway near the Wisconsin-Illinois border. Jesse continued following the GPS directions on his phone. He’d already driven through the north end of town, through Barton, up and down a large hill, and then veered right at a sweeping curve just before the Lakeview Tavern. He followed Wallace Lake Road until it intersected with North Trenton Road and turned left.
Jeez, I hope I’m going the right way.
Jesse had envisioned his sister living in town, not in a country mobile home park. He continued on, past Sandy Hill County Park, and to Newark Road, where Trenton ended. He turned right. According to the map, he was a mile from the trailer park. He slowed to a stop at the bend in the road. Newark ended, and Indian Lore took over. Directly in front of him, a trailer park stood back in the brush with only a narrow gravel road leading in. It looked old and unkempt. Jesse turned off his GPS, let out a sigh, and drove in. He remembered Jenna saying their house number was fourteen. Garbage bags lay at the foot of the overflowing dumpster, and a stray dog sniffed and scratched at the contents. He continued on and a minute later reached the post with a fourteen on it. He pulled into the vacant parking pad. Jesse stepped out of his car, took in the surroundings, and walked up the steps to the screened porch. He banged on the door and waited for several minutes.
Where the hell are you, Jenna? You were supposed to get home last night.
Jesse pulled the latch, and the aluminum screen door opened. In three strides, he was at the main door. He knocked but got no response.
Outside, Jesse went to the garage and pulled the handle. The door was locked. He peered through the side window and saw only a room littered with junk. A car wouldn’t have fit in there, anyway.
“He hasn’t been home since yesterday.”
Jesse spun to the voice at his back. “Don’t sneak up on people, dude. You could get seriously hurt doing that.”
“Sorry. Looking for Matt?”
“Sort of, and who are you?”
The man tipped his head to the right. “Their neighbor, Tim Quarles. You a process server?”
Jesse chuckled. “Things that bad around here?”
Tim scratched his cheek. “Do you have all day?”
“Look, man, I’m Jenna’s brother, Jesse, and I have concerns about Matt. He said she was coming home from vacation last night. Maybe he went to pick her up from the bus station and they spent the night in Milwaukee?”
“Vacation? That’s the story he’s going with?”
“You’re making me nervous. What the hell are you talking about?”
Tim checked his surroundings. “Let me show you something.” He walked to the back of Matt’s garage with Jesse on his heels. “See that hole?”
Jesse rubbed his chin. “Yep, sure do. I imagine there’s a story that goes along with it?”
“Let’s go sit on my porch and talk. I have a lot to tell you.” Tim led the way around the garage and up his steps. “Like a beer?”
“Yeah, I have a feeling I’m going to need one.”
With a nod, Tim went inside. He was back seconds later with two beers. “It all began last Friday.”
Chapter 47
“And the last time he spoke of her, Matt said Jenna had a sore throat?”
“That’s right. After that I only saw him on Sunday when the dog was digging behind the garage. Man, that odor was indescribable.”
“And you haven’t seen Jenna walking Bandit at all?”
“No, I’m telling you, Bandit is still loose. I put food scraps out every day, and the next day they’re gone.”
“Shit. I wonder if the dog I saw was Bandit.”
Tim jerked his head toward the dumpsters. “I see him sniffing around over there now and then.”
“I can’t believe it. That dog was a mangy mess. Jenna would never—”
“I told the cop that was here the same story I just told you. She went to talk to Matt, but he wasn’t home.”
“Why was a cop here?”
Tim shrugged. “An unrelated problem. Let’s see if Bandit is still over there. Does he know you?”
“Of course he knows me. Jenna’s had that dog longer than she’s been married.”
The men walked toward the entrance of the mobile home park. The garbage odor was thick. Tim nudged Jesse’s arm and pointed at the bags of trash. “There he is, over there.”
“Son of a bitch.” Jesse knelt and whistled. “Bandit, come here, boy.”
The dog’s ears perked, and he looked up.
“Over here, Bandit.” Jesse slapped his hands together, and the dog crouched and walked cautiously toward him. “Come on. It’s okay.” Bandit began running at full speed and leapt toward Jesse. He began licking his face. “No, no, don’t lick my face. Who knows where that mouth has been?” Jesse stood and petted the dog. “What the hell has happened to you? How long has he been on his own?”
“Nearing a week now. Like I said, I’ve been putting out food and water for him.”
Jesse looked at Matt’s trailer. “What the hell is going on, and where is my sister?”
“There’s something else I want to tell you.”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
“I have a bad feeling about everything.” They returned to Tim’s porch and took their seats. Bandit found a spot on the floor at Jesse’s side. “You’ve heard about the necktie killer, right?”
“Sure, who hasn’t? A friend told me that a woman was found in Washburn County a few days back.”
Tim nodded and picked at his cuticles. “I called the Washburn County tip line that the cops put on the news. They showed sketches of every victim.”
Jesse stared at the man he’d met only an hour earlier. “And?”
Tim coughed into his fist. “And I thought the local woman looked a lot like Jenna, but the sheriff’s office assured me it wasn’t her.”
Jesse jumped to his feet. “How would they know that?”
“They said the woman from Washburn County didn’t have any tattoos.”
Jesse let out a relieved sigh and sank back into the chair. “And Jenna has a butterfly on the back of her neck. That still doesn’t explain where Matt took her and why Bandit was left to fend for himself. Jenna would never do that to him.”
“Dude, the woman had a tie around her neck just like the others did. My gut still says it was Jenna.”
“So you’re actually thinking Matt is the necktie killer and he murdered my sister—his own wife?”
“All I’m saying is they argued all the time, the woman from the lake looked like Jenna, and I haven’t seen her in nearly a week. Then there was that smell coming from the garage and the off-color comment Matt made.”
Jesse gave Tim a side-eyed glance. “What comment?”
“The comment about Jenna liking her family trunk so much she’d want to be buried in it.”
“What! Was it an antique steamer trunk?”
“Yeah, and Matt was trying to get to it in the garage.”
“Son of a bitch.” Jesse opened the screen door and leapt from the porch. He ran to the side door of Matt’s garage and kicked it in.
Tim chased him and watched in shock. “Dude, I don’t think that’s legal.”
Slapping at the wall, Jesse finally found the overhead door switch. He lifted the door to get more light into the dark space. “Where was the trunk?”
Tim pointed. “Back there against the wall, but Matt said he was taking it into the house. It was right where that empty spot is.”
“And that’s where Bandit was digging from the outside, isn’t it?”
Tim’s eyes widened. “Oh shit.”
Jesse charged up the steps of Matt’s trailer and ripped open the screen door. It bounced against the outer wall of the porch. When Jesse gave the house door a running shoulder hit, the framework cracked. A hard kick finally dropped it inward, causing it to crash on the living room floor. He bolted through the trailer and cleared it within a minute’s time. He found no sign of Jenna, Matt, or the trunk.
Jesse spun on his heels and ran over the fallen door. “Let’s go!”
“Where?”
“To the sheriff’s office. I don’t know this town, but you do, now let’s move.” Jesse whistled for the dog. “Bandit, get in the car.” The dog leapt into the backseat, and Jesse jumped in behind the wheel. Tim took the passenger seat and barely had the door closed when gravel shot out from beneath the wheels as Jesse gunned it toward town.
Chapter 48
Jesse yanked on the glass doors and stormed into the lobby of the sheriff’s office. Tim and Bandit took up the rear.
Jan leapt from her chair. “What in the world? Sir, you have to remove that dog from the building.”
“I need to see whoever is in charge right now. It’s urgent.”
“Please calm down and take a seat, and I’ll see if Lieutenant Steele is available. I need your name, sir.”
Jesse ripped open his wallet and pressed his badge against the glass divider. “I’m Detective Jesse McCord, homicide division of the Chicago Police Department, and I need to see Lieutenant Steele now!”
“Give me just a minute, Detective.” Jan disappeared through a door at the back of the reception counter. She returned seconds later with Jack on her heels.
Jesse watched as the two of them spoke behind the security glass. Jack glanced at the entourage at Jesse’s back. He shrugged, pressed the button, and opened the first set of doors. Jack pointed at Tim and Bandit.
“Those two need to stay put.”
“Sorry, but they go where I go. You’ll understand soon enough.”
Jack reluctantly extended his hand. “Detective McCord, is it?”
“Yes, Lieutenant Steele, I’m from the Chicago PD.”
Jack appeared confused. “What can Washburn County do to help the Chicago PD?”
“Nothing—it’s what I can do to help you. Please, it’s urgent.”
Jack entered the code at the bull pen door and ushered them through. “Let’s talk in my office.”
“Tim Quarles?”
Tim stopped and turned to his right. “Detective Monroe?”
Jack rubbed his forehead. “You two know each other?”
“Yes, boss. Tim is the neighbor of Matt Mellon from the mobile home park.”
Jack nodded. “Okay, Monroe, come with us and bring some notepaper.”
Kate piped in. “I know Tim too.”
Jack jerked his head toward the hall. “Fine—everyone in the conference room.”
Clayton and Billings pushed back their chairs.
“I meant Kate and Amber. You two continue with whatever you’re doing.” Jack started down the hallway and waited at the conference room door while the group entered and took their seats. Bandit found a spot at Jesse’s side. “Okay, Detective McCord, what brings you to Washburn County?” Jack pulled out his usual chair at the far end of the table and sat down.
Jesse tipped his head toward Tim. “Jenna Mellon is my sister, and she’s married to a kook named Matt. That guy is usually more off his rocker than on it. I spoke to him on the phone just a few days ago, and he told me my sister suddenly took a trip to Pennsylvania.”
Tim jumped in. “A few days earlier, he told me Jenna was lying down in the house with a sore throat. That doesn’t sound like somebody who is about to go on vacation.”
Jesse nodded. “Tim here told me how Bandit had been loose for days—Jenna wouldn’t let that happen no matter how sick she was. Now I hear that Bandit has been digging at the back of Matt’s garage. Apparently he smelled something. Lieutenant, I think Bandit was trying to reach my sister.”
“Your sister?”
“Matt wanted to take an enormous steamer trunk into the house. It was an antique that had been in our family since our great-grandparents came to the United States from Ireland. Jenna would never part with it. Suddenly she’s gone, Matt’s gone, and so is the trunk. Poor Bandit here was left to fend for himself.” Jesse glanced at Tim. “Tim said he called in to the tip line after seeing sketches of the victims on TV. He thought the woman found in Wallace Lake was Jenna.”
I spoke up. “Detective McCord—”
“Just call me Jesse.”
I nodded and continued. “Jesse, I took Tim’s call and explained to him that the victim found in the lake didn’t have any tattoos. Are you aware of any tattoos on Jenna?”
Jesse pointed at the back of his neck. “She has a two-inch-wide butterfly right there.”
“And our victim has none anywhere. The killer isn’t your brother-in-law, and the dead woman isn’t your sister.”
“I’m sorry, Detective Monroe, but I’ll need to see the victim’s sketch for myself. I won’t take anybody’s word as proof. At this point, all I know for sure is that my sister is missing.”
Chapter 49
Jack tipped his chin toward the door—my cue to go retrieve the sketches. I excused myself and headed down the hallway. The stack of sketches was lying on Jack’s desk.
I entered the bull pen, where Clayton and Billings were talking among themselves.
“What the hell is going on in there?” Clayton asked.
“That dark-haired guy is Jenna Mellon’s brother, and the man with the shaved head is Tim Quarles.” Clayton acted as if he was holding back a laugh. I stopped, put my hands on my hips, and snarled. “Really? Are we going back to the ‘weird guy at the trailer park’ joke?”
“I didn’t say a word. It’s all conjecture on your part, but what gives, anyway?”
“Like I said, the dark-haired guy is Jenna’s brother and a Chicago homicide detective.”
“No shit?” Billings said.
“Yeah, no shit. He wants to see the sketch of our Wallace Lake victim. Tim has convinced him it’s Jenna. Jesse wants to see the sketch for himself.”
Clayton rolled his eyes. “You’re already on a first-name basis?”
“Shut up, Mr. Immature. The guy is seriously worried, and he told me to call him Jesse. I didn’t do it on my own.”
I continued to Jack’s office, where I flipped through the sketches on his desk, pulled out the one of our Jane Doe, and closed the door behind me.
Billings cracked his knuckles. “The question is, will he be relieved when he sees it isn’t her or be worried that she’s still missing?”
I shrugged as I passed them. “I guess I’ll find out in a minute.” I returned to the conference room and took my seat.
Jesse extended his hand. “Let me see the sketch.”
Jack nodded, and I passed it across the table. All eyes were focused on Jesse. I held my breath and waited with the others for a confirmation that Jane Doe wasn’t his sister.
An anguished moan came from deep within his chest, and his eyes welled up. “She was my only sibling, and that monster killed her.” He slammed his fist on the table then covered his face with his hands. “That son of a bitch—my own brother-in-law, Matt Mellon, is the necktie killer and murdered my sister.”
“Detective McCord, you have to be mistaken,” Jack said. “Our Jane Doe doesn’t have any tattoos.”
“Bullshit, this is my sister! Get your ME on the horn—they got it wrong! Where’s Jenna’s body? I want to see her for myself.”
“Excuse me for just a minute.” Jack got up and left the room.
We sat silently and watched through the wall of glass as Jack talked on his phone in the hallway. Jesse rocked back and forth. I gave Kate and Tim a somber look as we waited for Jack’s call to end.
Moments later, Jack returned to his seat. He let out a long breath and turned to Jesse. “Our ME, Lena Wayfair, will be right up.”
It took only a few minutes. The clacking of heels on the tiles told us Lena was headed our way. Jesse composed himself when she entered the conference room. Jack made the necessary introductions, and Lena took the chair directly across from Jesse. She placed a closed folder on the table next to her.
“What can I do to help you, Detective McCord?” Lena asked.
“I’m not trying to be a pain in your rear or tell you how to do your job”—Jesse poked at the sketch in front of him—“but this is my sister, and she has a tattoo on the back of her neck.”
“But sir—”
“Just give me the details of her examination.”
Lena gave Jack a quick glance, and he nodded. “I gave the woman found in the water a thorough exam once I got her back to my office. The autopsy didn’t show any water in her lungs, meaning—”
“Meaning she was dumped in the lake. Her death wasn’t due to drowning.”
