Good Bones, page 24
“Call it in,” yelled Jake. He raced across the deck and tried the sliding glass doors, but they were locked. He snatched a cast iron chiminea near a pair of lounge chairs. With a grunt, he hurled it through the glass.
The fire alarm shrieked. Smoke poured out the opening. Orange flames crackled from within the billowing gray clouds.
Jake grabbed a garden hose, turned the water on full blast, and entered the kitchen. Ingalls had dumped paper and cushions in the center of the family room and set the pile ablaze. Flames shot high, already licking up the walls. Furniture near the makeshift bonfire smoldered sending acrid plumes into the air. Coughing, Jake sprayed the water, but the fire continued to grow. The smoke became thicker. Cinders swirled through the air and landed with a burning sting on his exposed skin. Each breath seared his lungs. The stream of water from the hose couldn’t hold back the fire much longer.
“Jake!” cried Ethan.
“Here!”
Ethan staggered into the house, coughing as he clutched his ribs. He grabbed Jake’s arm, pulling him from the flames. “Move it! I hear sirens. Fire department will be here any second.”
They lurched outside, doubling over in a coughing fit. Ethan limped, leaving bloody shoe prints on the deck. “You’re hit,” said Jake.
Ethan gritted his teeth. “Grazed my leg. Be dancing in no time.”
Jake draped Ethan’s arm around his shoulder and helped him to the grass.
“Sumner! Reardon!” yelled Saldana.
“Here!” Jake croaked out.
Lt. Saldana and a dozen officers raced into the backyard followed by an ambulance and firetruck. EMTs rushed over to clap oxygen masks over their mouths and gently eased Ethan onto a gurney.
Jake sat on the ambulance bumper. He held the mask to his face, inhaling deeply as EMTs worked on Ethan. Another treated Jake’s minor burns and abrasions. Firemen entered the house, dragging heavy hoses. Soon water gushed from the shattered doorway onto the deck and into the yard, turning the carefully manicured lawn into a sludgy mess.
The orange flames disappeared. Thick black smoke transformed into dull gray haze. An EMT handed Jake a bottle of water. He took a mouthful, swished it around to dull the caustic, burnt taste in his mouth, and then spit the water on the ground. He drank the rest in one long gulp.
Jake peered across the yard. Saldana stood to the side talking with the fire chief. Jake’s eyes teared up again, and he blinked to clear his vision. The EMT had washed them out with saline, but they stung like hell. He grimaced. No doubt they would for a while.
The EMTs loaded Ethan into the ambulance. “I tell you I’m super good,” Ethan grumbled with a slurred voice. “I don’t need a hospital.”
“Can it, Reardon,” said Saldana walking up to them. “You’re going and don’t give me any lip. That leg needs stitches and you may have a broken rib. Good thing you had the vest or you wouldn’t be here to bitch.”
He cracked a loopy grin. “You’re a nice lieutenant.”
The EMT snickered. “Painkillers have kicked in. He’ll be a happy camper the rest of the night.”
Ethan grabbed Jake’s sleeve. “Hey, call April. Tell her how manly I was.”
“Yeah,” he said dryly. “You hardly cried at all. She can come to the hospital and hold your hand.”
“Okay.” Ethan yawned and closed his eyes.
The ambulance pulled away. Saldana turned to Jake with a shake of the head. “Ingalls had no gun ownership on record, let alone an automatic.”
“He sure didn’t seem the type,” said Jake. “Ingalls is more of a hands-on killer. Any word from Harbor Patrol?”
“Not yet. They’ll scour the coast for the speedboat, and we issued the APB. Ingalls can’t get far.”
“Lieutenant,” the fire chief called from the doorway. “Fire’s out. Your people can go in. The flames were contained in that one room, but watch your step.”
Saldana tossed Jake a flashlight. “You’re lead on this, Detective.”
Firefighters had cut the power when they arrived, so Jake shined the light around. The downstairs was a soggy shambles littered with broken glass and debris. They had chopped into the walls and ceiling searching for hidden embers. Jake slipped on a pair of evidence gloves and peered into each of the rooms. None on the first floor had any paneling and not a single license plate in sight.
With Jake in the lead, he and Saldana climbed the stairs and entered the master suite. The closet door was ajar.
Lt. Saldana grunted. “This is bigger than my whole damn bedroom. Who the hell needs this many shoes?”
Hung against the rear wall was a double row of designer men’s suits. The light glinted off a round object. Jake pushed aside the clothing. “Hello….” He murmured. “What are you doing here?”
“What’d you find?” said Saldana.
“Hidden door,” Jake said with rising excitement. “Funny thing to put in a closet.” He grasped the knob. “It’s locked.”
Saldana edged beside him and ran her hand over the panel. “Crappy hollow core, cheap hinges, probably a DIY project. Ingalls should have ponied up for a professional if he didn’t want anyone nosing around.”
“Allow me, lieutenant.” Saldana moved out of the way. One savage kick from Jake and the lock broke open. He entered the hidden room and played the beam back and forth. His expression lit up in triumph. “Gotcha, you sonuvabitch.”
Chapter 27
The preliminary report on the shooting came in over the police radio, and the knot in Katherine’s stomach finally eased. No one had been seriously injured, but her nerves didn’t completely settle until Jake sent a quick text. I’m safe. Ethan wounded, but no danger. Call April. Meet me at hospital.
With the investigation at the counseling center concluded, a CSU tech offered a ride to the hospital on the way to the station. Katherine ran to the waiting room. Jake was slumped over in a chair, gazing blankly at the floor. She called his name. His head jerked up. He jumped to his feet, lines of exhaustion etched into his face. Katherine threw herself into his arms.
Jake nuzzled her hair. “Shouldn’t get too close. I stink.”
“Just like a giant s’more,” she chuckled, “my favorite campfire treat. How’s Ethan?”
“Cracked rib and stitches. He’s sound asleep now. The doc’s keeping him overnight for observation, but he’ll be fine. April is with him. She holding his hand and has her phone on speaker relaying a report to the news station. I gave her an exclusive on Ingalls.”
“That was sweet of you,” said Katherine.
“I owed her. I owe all of you.” Jake brushed his hand against her cheek. “We did it, Kathy.”
“We did it.” She touched his bandaged hand. “You’re hurt.”
“A few cuts and minor burns.” Jake rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s been a long night.”
Katherine motioned to the chair. “Sit. You look as if you’re ready to drop. The officer who gave me a ride said they had no sighting of Jeremy yet, but Harbor Patrol located the speedboat ditched across the inlet. The deck had blood. You must have hit him.”
“Ingalls won’t get far on foot,” said Jake. “APBs are out. We’re watching roads, bus stations, and the airport.”
“He might try to contact Diana. She’s loyal and won’t believe he’s a killer.”
“We have a patrol car watching her house now. The lieutenant will bring her in as a material witness. Would she help him escape?”
“Yes. She’s not afraid of Jeremy. It’ll be hard to convince her he’s done anything wrong. What did you find in the hidden room?”
“Exactly like the vision—the license plates and five pieces of jewelry belonging to Tina, Bethany, Tiffani, Sapphire and Lacey.” Jake snorted. “Tina must have really pissed him off. His first attempted murder victim got away.”
“I’ll fill her in,” said Katherine. “She’ll sleep easier now that the police have a name and are hunting for him.”
“We found prints and fluids all over the jewelry,” added Jake. “Apparently, he liked to uh…play with them.”
Katherine wrinkled her nose. “Yuck. Spare me the details.”
“We also found a black and gray jacket and boots. The red shovel was in a tool shed, and the techs will do fiber and soil analyses.” Jake shook his head. “This guy was a real freak. He had recording equipment tucked away in the hidden room and a secret camera over the bed. No telling what we’ll find on those.”
“What about the dark sedan?”
“Not in the garage. He must have stashed it at one of the vacant properties belonging to the Ingalls Trust. Being a member of the board, he had access to the addresses and could pick and choose.” Jake stretched. “I need a shower and a few hours of sleep before I return to the station. I’ll give you a lift to your apartment, see you get home safe.”
Katherine leaned her head against his shoulder. “Jeremy won’t come after me. Setting the house on fire was probably a panicked move to destroy evidence. As a matter of fact, I’m surprised he’s not in handcuffs already. Nothing in Jeremy’s ego suggested he considered the possibility of capture. My guess is he never planned an escape route and is hiding until the heat dies down.”
“We have officers checking the properties controlled by the Ingalls Trust,” said Jake. “They have quite a number, but Ingalls’ face will be plastered all over the news by morning. Someone will spot him.”
They stopped to see Ethan. He slept peacefully, April seated at his side. Jake slipped an arm around Katherine’s waist as they walked to the exit. “This investigation will take a while to wrap up. I won’t have a lot of free time until then, but when I do…” He pulled her close. “Things will change between us.”
Katherine leaned into the kiss, reveling in the strength of his arms and taste of his mouth, smoke and all.
Tell me what you see, Kathy, prodded her grandfather’s voice.
I see my future. Jake Sumner has my heart and I’ll never let him go.
Atta girl. His approval rang in her head.
****
Jake locked the front door and went to the parlor. He tried the handle, but it still refused to turn. He placed his palm flat against the glass. “It’s over Bethany. Ingalls is on the run. We’ll catch him, soon. Isn’t that enough to bring you peace?” The door remained shut.
He backed away, disappointment mixed with sorrow. “Okay, I’ll leave you alone.”
Why wasn’t Bethany at rest? What more could he do? What did she want from him? Fog penetrated Jake’s brain, clouding his thoughts. Every muscle in his body ached. No more thinking tonight. He staggered upstairs to the bedroom.
****
Katherine yawned and reached for the ringing cell phone. “Hello?”
“Sorry,” said Tina. “Did I wake you?”
She sat up straight. “It’s okay. Long night.”
“I’ll bet. I’ve been following the news since you called… It’s really him?”
“Yes. They found your necklace. It’s only a matter of time until Jeremy is brought to justice. How are you doing?”
“I’m not sure…a bit dazed. I stayed up for hours talking with Andy…”
Katherine drew in a breath. Don’t push her. She’s ready.
“I’ve decided to make a statement to the police,” said Tina. “Andy will drive me to Sandy Shoals.”
“I’m proud of you, Tina. I realize this is hard.”
“Thanks.” Even across the phone the relief in her voice was evident. “Maybe you and I can talk about my mother, too.”
Katherine suppressed a cheer. “I’d like that. Why don’t you meet me at my apartment since the office is out of bounds at the moment? Besides, it’s probably crawling with reporters by now. We’ll all ride to the station together. Afterward, we can come back to my place. Does Andy like cats? He can play with Whiskers while we talk.”
Tina chuckled. “Andy loves cats. Perhaps he’ll even make a sketch or two while you and I hash out the issues I have with Mom.”
“Great. I’ll text my address.”
Katherine showered quickly then dressed and called Jake. He picked up at once, no sign of fatigue in his voice. In the background was the din of multiple people speaking at once. “Are you at the police station already?” she scolded. “I thought you planned to sleep.”
“I did. I also took a long, hot shower last night and another one this morning, so I no longer qualify as a s’more. Some people,” he chided lightly, “have better things to do than sleep their lives away.”
Katherine related her conversation with Tina. “That’s good news,” Jake said. “Still no word on Ingalls. Diana Weller never showed at her house. We’re getting a search warrant now. Phone records show she called Ingalls yesterday around the time she arrived at the office.”
Katherine’s voice tightened. “She warned him the police were there. That’s why he made a run for it.”
“Yeah, and she must have picked him up. There’s an APB on her car and we’re watching for credit card usage. So far nothing, but Ingalls is wounded, and that has to slow them down. By the way, Connie called. She’s going through Ingalls’ financials. Guess who inherited a plot of land from his father, part of which was sold two years ago to Dr. Singh at the Westside Animal Clinic?”
Her eyes widened. “Jeremy.”
“Yup. The noose around his neck keeps getting tighter. I’m also running through the obituaries you found.”
Katherine shivered. “Let me guess…murder victims?”
“No. Funny thing, all the deaths are from natural causes. Each person was in a different hospital undergoing treatment for a serious illness when he or she suddenly succumbed to cardiac arrest. Because of preexisting health issues, staff didn’t raise an eyebrow.”
“Didn’t the families have a clue?”
“Most were elderly. None had much of a support system.”
Katherine gasped. “Are you saying Jeremy is also an Angel of Death?”
“It may have started that way. Why else have the list? A psychologist can have hospital privileges, and these patients all had serious illnesses. What if he simply hurried the process along?”
“How? Wander the halls, pick a random room, and stuff a pillow over a patient’s head? One of the staff would have noticed.” Katherine shuddered. “His father’s name was on the list.”
“That reason for his death may have been money instead of mercy. Prentiss wasn’t in the hospital, but had a heart condition and high blood pressure.”
Katherine shuddered, troubled by an antsy sensation. Something didn’t sit well. “This doesn’t fit Jeremy’s profile. That list had elderly men and women’s names. Jeremy only killed four young women.”
“That we know of.”
“Where are the souvenirs then?” she said. “He takes a token. There weren’t any others at his house.”
“Maybe he hid them elsewhere, or the collection started recently. Ingalls could have stashed them at one of his other properties. Have you considered the obituaries were his souvenirs?”
“They’re not personal items from the victims, and why hide them separately from the jewelry and license plates? If Jeremy killed those people, why didn’t Bethany mention it?”
“You got me. Maybe she’s only in tune with the local spiritual plane,” he said wryly. “The names on the list go back at least fifteen years and from around the country; Portland, LA, Dallas, Atlanta. The most recent was in New York.”
“Jeremy’s last address,” Katherine murmured. “He never mentioned a practice anywhere except New York. Did you find any evidence he was in those other areas?”
“No, but I’ve only started digging. As soon as I get off the phone, I’ll check with the hospitals’ human resources offices.”
“You sense it, too.” Katherine’s uneasiness increased. “Jake, something stinks about all this. We need to speak to Bethany again.”
“She hasn’t exactly been welcoming lately.” His voice held a bitter note. “I tried to talk to her last night—tell her about Ingalls, but the door is locked. I can’t get in.”
“After Tina leaves, we can go back to the house together.”
“Fine with me, but don’t get your hopes up. Bethany’s information can be a little vague.”
“Even so, I want to try. See you soon.”
****
Jake drummed his finger on the list of names, his brow furrowed in a frown.
“Can I help?” Ethan limped to his desk.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Jake barked. “You’re supposed to be resting. Does Saldana even know you’re out of the hospital?”
“Nope. I checked out early and April gave me a ride on her way to the local TV station. The news director wants a report from her firsthand on the hunt for Ingalls.”
Jake eyed him with mock severity. “She’s enabling your lousy decision-making.”
Ethan’s mouth split in a broad grin. “I know. Isn’t she great? She’s even happy I was raised Episcopalian. She calls it Catholic Lite.” He leaned against the desk with a grimace. “What can I do that doesn’t involve a lot of walking?”
“Check with the team at Weller’s house. The search warrant should be signed by now. See if they found anything.”
“Will do. What was recorded on the feed from the hidden camera?”
“Sex tapes with lots of grunting and groaning. None of the women match Weller and all left the bedroom on their own. Techs found Ingalls’ little black book on his computer. He noted the names and dates of his sexual exploits and we’re checking to see which women match those on the tapes. So far, all are alive, although highly humiliated, and probably rethinking the wisdom of one-night stands in their future. None caught a glimpse of Ingalls’ darker side.”
Ethan went to his desk, and Jake returned to the list. Katherine made a good point. These names didn’t add up with the rest of Ingalls’ MO. He phoned the hospitals. None of them had ever heard of Dr. Jeremy Ingalls. Frustrated, he tossed the list aside and dialed Connie Pratt.
“I was just about to call you,” she said. “Parker verified Jeremy was in town to attend board meetings at the same time Tina was attacked and Bethany murdered. We also got a call from Isabelle. Tiffani attended group therapy at the prison with Ingalls. So, any leads on the slimy bastard’s location yet?”
