The Seekers, page 18
“Please,” Keri said softly.
“Are you going to start writing about modern crime?” Ed asked.
“No,” she said, a little shiver jolting through her visibly. She hesitated and then added, “I do believe, however, that the past may have something to do with what happened to Julie.”
“Okay, so, one more time. Julie was with me but waiting,” Ed said. “I was going in and out of consciousness, but I could swear, Julie got a phone call, and then rushed out. It must have been about Barbara Chrome. Searching for her was the reason we were in Philadelphia. We were following leads in New York when Julie got a call on her cell phone that brought us here.”
“From someone claiming that they had seen Barbara Chrome, right?” Joe said.
“Yes. We’d traced the call to a clothing store. We went there and had local police there, and we questioned the staff. The manager didn’t believe that any of his people made the call. As you probably know, he believed that it had to be a regular, someone who knew right where the phone was. Identifying prints was almost impossible because there were prints on top of prints. We pulled credit card receipts for that day, looked into regular customers, but could find nothing more than parking tickets. Then...we were on the street, walking—oh, the original call came to Julie’s cell phone, not the office. But she was convinced that the call was legitimate, and so was our assistant field director. With the reward money offered, we thought that someone in on the kidnapping might be ready to betray anyone else involved and give Barbara up. We weighted the possibility that Barbara left on her own. I’m sure you have thought about all these possibilities as well.”
“Yes,” Joe said simply. “How and when were you hit?”
“Right by Independence Hall. Julie thought that she saw Barbara and gave chase. I raced after her, and then...nothing.”
“And the driver didn’t stop. Julie didn’t stop—there were no witnesses?”
“It was pretty late at night. The area wasn’t busy. Some bars and restaurants were still open, but by the time the police and ambulance got there, everyone was gone. That’s to the best of my knowledge. I don’t know what happened after that one wham. Julie didn’t see because she’d already rounded a corner. Go figure. All my training and I forget to look both ways before crossing a street and get slammed by some drunk asshole in a hurry to get home.”
“We can all forget in the heat of pursuit,” Joe assured him.
“But no one has any idea who hit you?” Keri asked.
Ed shook his head. “How dumb could I be?”
“Maybe not so dumb. Did it occur to you that someone might have hit you on purpose?”
“On purpose?” Ed asked.
“With you out of the way, it had to be much easier to get to Julie.”
“You think Julie was targeted here?”
“I think it’s more than possible. One agent is far easier to take by surprise than two agents. So, if you’re out of commission, and things are happening so fast that she doesn’t have backup right away, she would have been an easier mark. But let’s go back. She thought that she saw Barbara Chrome here in Philadelphia?”
Ed nodded. “Dot and Jared have been following up on that, too. Barbara’s picture is with the Philadelphia police, and it’s been all over the media.”
“Her appearance could be far different by now,” Keri pointed out.
“Exactly,” Joe said.
“But,” Ed said, looking baffled, “they’d have to know that we’d send more agents.”
“There might be a time factor in here,” Joe said thoughtfully.
“But cops are crawling around everywhere, here and out in York County.”
“I think it’s a sound possibility that you were struck on purpose,” Joe said. “Barbara—or a lookalike—might have been bait to get you two out on the street, and the car might have been waiting.” He paused. “Ed, I’m sorry, but is there anything that you can think of? I’m sure that someone else has told you by now that Julie’s last meal was sushi. Do you know of any restaurants or even grocery stores she liked particularly?”
“I know she loved sushi. And I don’t. I figured she was taking advantage of not having meals with me,” Ed said. His eyes misted. “Julie was a good kid. She was a great agent. She worked all the overtime she could. Her parents died when she was young, and she was working really hard to keep the grandma who raised her in a decent assisted living facility. Decent is the key word. A lot of those places smell of urine and death and really suck.”
“We’re so sorry,” Keri murmured.
“So sorry,” Joe agreed, and then pressed, “Any place in particular. Especially between here and York County?”
“We never went out to York County,” Ed said. “But...” He paused, his voice trailing, his bruised forehead wrinkling in concentration. “There is a place at the edge of the city. I mean, there was an Asian restaurant right by our hotel where we went a few times—they had sushi and Thai and Chinese entrees as well. But we had refrigerators in our rooms, and she liked this particular grocery store and I like it because they carry their own brand of soft drinks that are really good. The place is called Greta’s. I’m trying to think of the address, but—”
“We can find an address,” Joe assured him. He stood, looking over at Jared. “I guess we’re going to head on over to Greta’s, check on a few more things. Maybe walk the Independence Hall area and stop in on a historian. If anything—”
“Not to worry. I have your number on speed dial, yours and Dallas’s,” Jared said.
Keri was up as well, thanking Ed, telling him to get rest and to get better.
“Bring me a book. As soon as the headaches stop, I’m going to start reading,” Ed told her.
“My pleasure and privilege,” Keri told him.
Joe, too, paused by the bed and thanked Ed.
“I can’t see how I helped. Except that, yeah, maybe I was hit on purpose. But there’s no way you could catch that driver now. Anyway, not sure what that will do for you, but if I did help, God knows I’m grateful. I’d like to meet this person. Maybe not. I’d want to skin them alive, whoever did this.”
They took their leave. Keri looked at him anxiously as they headed to the car. “If Ed was struck on purpose, and Julie was just ahead of him, chasing Barbara or someone who looked like her, Julie was a target, and this whole thing was more insidious than we even imagined.”
“Right now, we need proof of something,” Joe said, “or a confession from someone. I don’t see anyone involved in this just breaking down and coming clean. I’d like to check out Greta’s, and then we can see your historian friend.”
“Don’t you think that the police would have been out to the store by now, if they’re checking local sushi places?”
“Maybe, maybe not. Greta’s is a grocery store that sells prepared foods. It’s not a restaurant, per se.”
“Maybe it’s a wild-goose chase. Well, at least we could have some sushi ourselves. I don’t even know if you like sushi.”
“I like almost any kind of food, anywhere,” he assured her. “Black coffee and food. Was I a well-trained cop or what?”
She shook her head.
“What?”
“You don’t like donuts,” she reminded him.
“True, but in a pinch donuts will do.”
He stopped, glancing at the clock in the dashboard. “I’d like to stay late and try the streets at night, though I don’t know that we’re going to get anything. I’ll tell Dallas that we’re okay with him bringing the Truth Seekers back in tomorrow, although I don’t want them in the museum. I still think you might find something there.” He glanced her way. “Sorry, we’re already into the afternoon, and I want to make sure we see your professor.”
“You still think that the past can help the present?”
“I do. I’m going to call Dallas and get us a couple of rooms booked here for the night, if that’s okay with you.”
“Yes, sure, but we don’t need two rooms,” she told him. “I’ve actually gotten some sleep—lots of disjointed dreams, but I have slept, because I haven’t been afraid of someone sneaking in. You’re a great watchdog.”
“Well, thanks,” he told, wondering if his tone was as dry as it tasted on his lips. Joe was glad that she’d had some sleep. He was low on sleep himself. Lying next to her, feeling her curl against him... It had made it hard to get real rest.
But he had to maintain control. That was a major lesson he’d learned in the police academy from a great instructor. Control and a poker face were essential for letting due process of law bring drug peddlers, child molesters and murderers to justice.
But, well, he’d had a few waking dreams himself, all about the way she felt against him, and the way she might feel against him...
“Sure, we can do one room,” he said.
Control? It was one thing he had in abundance.
12
Philadelphia was truly one of the nation’s great cities. Keri couldn’t help but love it, from the contemporary energy exuding from the people on the streets to the reminders that it was here that the American forefathers had squabbled, given impassioned speeches, and somehow managed to come together and create a new nation.
She enjoyed the sights as they drove, from historic landmarks to new buildings and houses. An array of architecture spanning centuries. Finally, they reached their destination, a shining example of the new.
The parking lot for the grocery store was very large and busy, and on entering the store, she quickly saw why it was worth driving out to the edges of the city. Greta’s was an amazing place.
Big. Eclectic. There were the usual groceries, dairy, meat, produce and so on, as well as many ethnic foods, including Mexican, Japanese, German and more.
“I wish this place was near me,” Keri said.
“It is nice. Clean, organized,” Joe said. “Let’s take a loop around it, see the layout. Then, we’ll find people and see what they might know, if anything.”
One little booth in the center of the store specialized in teas. Another was a deli. And one was a little sushi kiosk.
“I see why Julie liked the place,” Keri said. “I’ll bet the sushi is as fresh as it gets.”
“But alas, we’re not shopping,” Joe told her. “Let’s get to it. Back to the office area up front.”
Joe inquired about the store manager, and he and Keri were led to an office where Mr. Briggs—a stout little man, balding, but with a pleasant smile and courteous manner—was working on a computer. Briggs was surprised by the inquiry. No, as far as he knew, the police had not been out with photos of the federal agent who had been killed, though he’d seen her picture in the news.
He was polite to both of them, accepting Joe’s credentials, but looking at him and Keri curiously, as if they made an odd pair for law enforcement.
“You’re an agent—or a cop?” he asked Keri.
She started to answer; Joe did it for her. “She’s a consultant, working with me.”
A consultant.
Did it matter what she was called if they could find answers?
“We all heard about what happened,” Briggs said. “Tragic. I’d have thought if one of my people saw Special Agent Castro they would have mentioned it. But let’s see. I know I didn’t see her, but I don’t work the sushi kiosk,” he told them. “I’ll bring you out to Myrna. She’s there most days, at least from 11:00 in the morning, when we open the sushi bar, to 9:00 at night, when we close. We can also check with the cashiers.” He frowned, looking at Joe. “You have the pictures?”
“On my phone,” he assured him.
He walked them from the front office to the sushi bar in the middle of the store. A pretty young woman of mixed Asian and European heritage was there, chatting with a man as she handed him the rolls he requested.
When her customer moved on, Briggs called out to her. “Myrna, these people are with law enforcement, trying to find out if the agent who was murdered out in York might have been in here.”
“Oh!” Myrna looked at them with wide, concerned eyes. “I saw her picture on the news, and no, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see her. Not in here. And I would know. The story about her death just seems so terrible. I hope you find whoever did it.”
“So do we,” Joe said. “Agent Castro’s partner said that she loved this place, that they came here often.”
“Well, we have package sushi in the refrigerator cases that people can just pick up, too. If I was busy and she was by, I might not have noticed.”
“Thank you,” Joe said. “I appreciate your help.”
“We can go to the cashiers,” Mr. Briggs said.
“Just one second,” Joe asked, smiling politely. “And really, thank you for your time.” He paused, flipping through his phone, producing another picture. It was of the kidnapping victim, Barbara Chrome.
“Did you ever see this young lady in here?” Joe asked.
“She’s...familiar,” Myrna said. “Oh, of course—I’ve seen her picture on the news, too. She’s the girl who was kidnapped in New York.” She studied the picture and frowned suddenly. “You know... I might have seen her in here. Not like this. The woman who was in here did look like this girl, but she had dark hair. Short, feathery, dark hair—it just framed her face. And she was wearing big glasses and a hat. Maybe I’m crazy, but looking at this picture again... I think that yes, she might have been in here.”
“Thank you,” Joe told her, and he turned back to Briggs. “May we speak with the cashiers?”
“Of course!”
Luckily, it wasn’t a busy time, and they were able to go from cashier to cashier. They’d spoken with three women and one man before they came upon an older gentleman with big, wire-rimmed glasses. He nodded as soon as they asked him about seeing Julie Castro, before they even showed him a picture.
“I was so sad when I saw the news. Yes, I saw her...three times, I think. Twice with a nice-looking young man, and once I think she was alone. She loved the sushi here. I was always ringing up those to-go packs. We do a wonderful job with sushi here, but that Myrna, she could work anywhere she wanted, I daresay.”
“It’s a beautiful sushi bar,” Keri assured him.
He smiled, then grew grave again, shaking his head. His spectacles fell down his nose a bit and he righted them. “So sad. She was always polite and kind. Once there was someone in line behind her with just two items and she insisted they go before her. Right kind of woman. Someone taught her manners, sadly lacking these days, it seems. Did you know her?”
“I didn’t know her,” Joe said, “but from everything I’ve heard, she was lovely, just as you’re saying. A bright and well-trained agent. We’re determined to solve her murder and bring the killer to justice.”
“Good,” the man said. He offered his hand. “I’m George Colin,” he said. “Wish I could give you more.”
Joe and Keri each shook his hand, and then Keri waited quietly as Joe brought up the photos of Barbara Chrome on his phone.
“What about this woman?”
George peered at the screen. He shook his head but kept frowning. “No, no...haven’t seen her, but...” He looked, then paused, shrugging. “Odd, she looks familiar, but no.”
“Imagine her with short dark hair, big glasses and a droopy hat,” Keri said.
“Hmm,” George said thoughtfully, taking the phone from Dallas and eyeing it carefully through his bifocals. “Yeah, yeah. She bought sushi, too.” He looked up at them. “It was the day before the news that the agent had been killed hit the media. But I tell you, I wouldn’t have put her together with the blonde in the picture if you hadn’t said what you did, miss,” he told Keri. “I do remember her, because she wanted to buy cigarettes, but I wouldn’t sell them to her. She said she forgot her ID, but I wasn’t born yesterday. She might have been eighteen—you know how quickly girls mature these days—but I go by the rules. I’m retiring soon, beautiful pension from this place, and I’m not messing up a great record by selling smokes or alcohol to any minors. I said that was the way it was. I needed ID, I told her, or no sale.”
“What did she do?” Joe asked.
“She paid and left, cursing at me,” George said.
“What time, approximately?” Keri asked him.
“Well, I get off about four, and it was a bit before I got off, so... I think it must have been about three or three thirty in the afternoon.”
They thanked George and the manager, Mr. Briggs, and headed outside to call Dallas and report on what had transpired through the day.
When he finished the call, he turned back to Keri and said, “I’m an idiot. We need to go back into the store.”
“What did we forget to ask?”
“Nothing that I know of, but you like sushi, right? And it’s well after lunchtime.”
She smiled. “Why do I think that you don’t really like sushi?”
“I like it fine. And if I didn’t, I could choose a deli sandwich or something else. Might as well eat while we’re here. And you might want to call your professor friend and see if it’s all right if we get there within the next hour or so.”
She pulled out her phone and texted the professor. He wrote right back, telling her he was just plugging away at a speech and any time that she arrived would be a welcome break. He was pleased to be of any assistance he could, especially as it referred to the recent atrocity that had taken place at the Miller Inn and Tavern.
“Okay, on to sushi, and then the professor,” Joe said.
They headed to the sushi bar and stood in the queue. Myrna was very efficient and could create any roll within seconds, slice up sashimi, and prepare nigiri. Keri ordered tuna and salmon with lots of avocado, freshly scooped, and Joe just asked Myrna to do a double for him of whatever Keri wanted.
