Whirlwind

58

Fate, Texas

Kate sat in the back of a Rockwall County ambulance.

Its rear doors were open, and she stared at the death house on Briscoe Street while the paramedics assessed her and sirens filled the air. Her adrenaline was still pumping, increasing her pulse rate.

Other than some bruising, she was okay.

They’d discovered her in the kitchen lying on the floor, bound in a blanket coiled with duct tape, indicating that whoever attacked her only wanted to subdue her, not kill her.

“Did you hear me, Kate?”

“Sorry.”

“I said the police are going to want to talk to you again. First, I’m just going to give you a little oxygen.” The paramedic, his name was Dwayne, slipped a plastic face mask over Kate’s nose and mouth. “Breathe normally for me.”

Kate tried, but it was difficult amid the wailing sirens and activity. As she looked over the chaos, a million thoughts streaked through her mind; some of them she’d already conveyed to Rockwall County Sheriff’s Deputy Al Hardwick, who was the first to talk to her.

I heard a baby…it had to be Caleb Cooper…I saw the towel from the motel…crazy Hazel’s tip about the woman using a wig to cover short dark hair fit the description…two people were dead…so much blood…the paramedics said the man I talked to is dead…what did he say before he died?…I asked him about the baby…think…he mentioned a ranch…the ranch had a name…what was it?…where is it?…Ellamaton? Afanton? Aneffton?…think…think…someone called DOA…I’m sure I heard that clearly…

Kate’s attention shifted to police stretching yellow tape around the house to secure the scene as more emergency vehicles rolled onto the property. They were from the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Dallas Police Department. There were more agents from the FBI, which had jurisdiction. The FBI’s Evidence Response Team also joined the investigators.

Kate spotted FBI Agents Grogan and Quinn among a group at the corner of the house under a tree. They’d been there a long time taking notes and making phone calls while talking with Deputy Hardwick. Kate had overheard someone say that the two other men huddled with them were the detectives from the Dallas police. Grogan and Quinn shot glances in Kate’s direction before they broke from the huddle and approached the ambulance.

“Did you give her any medication?” Grogan asked the paramedic.

“No, she didn’t need anything.”

“We need to talk to her alone.”

“Sure, let me remove the mask.”

The FBI agents took Kate to the far side of the property. “How’re you holding up?” Grogan asked.

“Still shaky, but okay.”

“We got a full briefing from Deputy Hardwick.” Quinn turned to a fresh page in her notebook, checked the time and wrote it down. “Now, how about you tell us what happened, how you got to be here and what followed? Take your time.”

Kate began by telling them how the first call came into the bureau from Hazel Hill, the woman next door. How Kate had initially dismissed her as a crazy person before deciding to follow her gut on the disturbing detail about the wig. Then Kate relayed how events unfolded after she’d entered the house, to the point paramedics and the deputy arrived and freed her.

Grogan and Quinn listened, interrupting occasionally to ask a question or clarify an aspect. When they’d ended the interview, they took down all Kate’s contact numbers then asked her to accompany them to their office to give a formal statement and provide her fingerprints for elimination prints for the evidence techs.

“Aren’t you going to chase this down to this DOA person’s place at Vickson Farm in Ellamont, Afanton, Aneffton or wherever it is?” Kate asked.

“We’ve already taken action with the DEA, based on what you’d told the deputy,” Grogan said.

“What action?”

Quinn and Grogan exchanged a look, a not so subtle question of how much to reveal. A moment passed before Grogan continued.

“DOA is the street name of a drug dealer in Lubbock. He’s got an affiliate near Lubbock. We’re working with locals there now, preparing to move on the residence.”

“Are you saying drug dealers have the baby?” Kate said. “That that’s what the victim in there was trying to tell me?”

“We’re saying we have grave concerns and we’re acting on them.”

“I’m not staying here. I’m following my story.”

“Not so fast. We need you to give us a formal statement.”

“You’ll get it later.” Kate’s phone rang and she answered it, annoying Grogan, who’d blocked her departure as Kate focused on her call.

“Kate, it’s Chuck. Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m okay.”

“Tommy told us what happened, that you followed a tip to Fate and he heard everything on the police scanners. It’s breaking on TV right now. The Fate murders may be linked to another across the Metroplex.”

“Another murder? The FBI never said anything about that.”

Grogan’s patience was running thin.

“At a garage,” Chuck said. “A male, very grisly, apparently. Details are still sketchy. We’ve sent people there. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, I want to follow the story.”

“I’m responsible for your safety, Kate. Please come back to the bureau ASAP. You can help with the story here.”

Kate felt Grogan’s glare burning through her, but continued: “I want to follow this story,” she said firmly. Then she spotted Mandy Lee among the newspeople collecting at one end of the property. “Chuck, who sent Mandy down here?”

“Dorothea. Now, Kate, I need you to come back to the bureau.”

Looking at the growing crowd, it dawned on Kate how the story was emerging, giving rise to another concern. “I’ve gotta go.” She hung up and turned full bore on Grogan. “Why didn’t you tell me about the other murder linked to this?”

“The Dallas PD caught that one. The victim may be the owner of this residence.”

“So now it’s a triple homicide tied to the baby’s case? I gotta go.” Kate began making a call on her phone, but before she could complete it Grogan covered her phone with his hand, stopping her.

“Hey!” Kate said.

“You’re not calling anybody.”

“Excuse me! Please get your hand off of my phone!”

“You’re a witness in a crime scene.”

“I’m calling my daughter to let her know I’m not hurt.”

“We’d prefer you didn’t do that now, Ms. Page, and request you accompany us.”

“No.”

“No?”

“I know my rights. I’ve cooperated. I’ve told you all I know and I’ve answered your questions. I will come to your office later.”

“Kate.” Grogan’s face was taut. “We advise you to come with us.”

“Or what? Are you going to arrest me? Threaten to call me a suspect? I cover crime, Agent Grogan. I know how this works.”

“Do you? Then you know your car’s been seized to be processed as part of the crime scene.”

A tense moment passed.

“I’m going to call my daughter.” Kate turned from the agents then pressed the number for Heather. Grogan and Quinn left her alone. As the line rang, Kate considered the time, knowing that Grace would be in school.

“Hello?”

“Heather, it’s Kate.”

“Hey there, how’s it going?”

“A little rough right now. Listen, I don’t have much time. I just came across a bad murder scene-”

“Oh my God!”

“When I found it, someone came up behind me and tied me up-”

“What? Tied you up? You’re scaring me!”

“No, I’m okay. I’m fine. But because I might be in some of the news pictures, it’s Grace I’m worried about. She might hear about it, or things might get confused. I want her to know that I’m okay, that her mother’s not hurt. I’m with police… I’m okay.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Could you call her school? They have my cell number. Could you get them to call me when Grace’s next class ends? Just say her mom wants to talk to her. Ask them to put Grace on so she can hear my voice and know I’m fine?”

“Absolutely.”

“Okay, thank you. I have to go.”

“Please, Kate, be careful.”

Kate hung up, took a deep breath, closed her eyes and briefly imagined Heather calling Grace’s school. Kate pictured the message being dispatched to Grace’s teacher. Kate then saw Grace walking down the hall to the office and…at that moment, standing alone amid the double homicide, Kate nearly lost it as she ached to be home in Ohio holding her daughter.

At the far end of the property across the street, Kate saw a white SUV parked alongside the growing number of vehicles that had converged on the address. Jenna Cooper rushed from it along with her husband. They went to the nearest deputy.

No one among the press pack had noticed them so far.

Using police vehicles to shield her, Kate hurried over to the area. Catching Jenna’s attention, Kate led her and Blake out of view behind some shrubbery.

“What happened?” Jenna’s eyes bulged with fear. “They won’t tell us!”

“I followed a tip, and it looks like they were here with Caleb.”

“The news said homicides. Was Caleb-was he-” Jenna’s hands were cupped to her face.

Kate shook her head. “No. We think they took him and fled to the Lubbock area.”

“Let’s go now!” Blake grabbed Kate’s arm and with Jenna trotting beside them started for the SUV. “You’re going to tell us where to go.”

Kate pulled her arm free, stopped and stood her ground. “I’ve gotta think about this.”

She shot a look back at Grogan and the FBI agents, who needed her to stay in Dallas. She glanced at her phone, replaying Chuck’s orders to return to the bureau. Then she looked at Jenna and Blake, waiting for her to make a decision.

What’s the right thing to do? Who needs me most right now?

She found the answer in the anguish that filled Jenna’s and Blake’s eyes.

“Okay,” Kate said. “Let’s go. I’ll help you.”

They got into the SUV.

Blake climbed behind the wheel and the engine roared.

As they pulled away Kate glanced behind her.

She saw Mandy Lee walking in their direction but getting smaller in the rising cloud of dust.