Ring of Fire (21 page)

“You better sit down, buddy. There was another body.”

Somehow Nate managed to say the name.

“Melanie?”

Tears flowing down his face, Connor nodded once more.

Chapter 23

Nate walked into the interrogation room, ignoring the man sitting at the table. The Chief and Sam followed behind him. Tossing the folder he was carrying onto the table, Nate pulled out his chair and sat at the head of the table. Sam sat to one side of him, the Chief the other. Not sure that he could do this, Nate took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. Looking for the first time at the man across from him, the sight of the slimy bastard strengthened his resolve.

Jeb’s face darkened. Nate was gratified to see sweat gleaming on his brow. As if he knew that he’d given himself away, Jeb gave a lazy shrug. Mimicking Nate, he nonchalantly leaned back in his chair, the semblance of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Nate held his gaze for a long moment and then broke the ominous silence.

“Why did you kill your daughter, Jeb?”

A shared gasp of surprise from several men in the room was the only sound.

Jeb merely arched a casual brow.

“There must be some mistake, Nate. My daughter is alive.” He glanced at his watch. “If I’m not mistaken, Francine is in her 4
th
period English class right now.”

Nate forced himself to take another breath. He managed to keep his voice low, soft.

“I’m not talking about Francine, Jeb.”

Jeb’s jaw tightened and his eyes flashed dark with hate.

“I see. Oh, of course. You’re talking about Melanie, the little slut who was shacking up with that fucking red-skinned buck.”

Jeb spat on the table.

“She’s no daughter of mine.”

A red haze filled Nate’s eyes. A rolling cloud of noxious smoke flooded over him, choking him. The anguish of the last twenty four hours, combined with his breath-stealing guilt, morphed into rage. With a mighty roar he rose from his seat and dove across the table. He landed on Jeb’s chest with a crash, throwing him to the floor. Nate didn’t count the times he smashed his fist into the odious man’s face and body. The satisfying crunch of bone and splattering blood confirmed he was making an impression. Rising to his feet, he threw the broken chair across the room and began kicking the screaming man. The first kick landed in the racist’s flabby gut, the second in his groin. Reaching down, Nate dragged Jeb to his feet. Holding him up by his bloodied shirtfront, Nate drew back his fist preparing to break the fucker’s nose if it wasn’t already broken.

Sam caught his arm with an iron hard grip. Through a distant tunnel, Nate heard the commotion around him and slowly began to see through the haze. Two shattered chairs lay in pieces, the table was on its side. Papers carpeted the floor like confetti. Jeb, his face streaming with blood, was howling obscenity-laced threats. Four uniformed officers had dragged him across the room and were holding the writhing man on the floor. Jeb’s white-faced lawyer was plastered against the wall, his eyes wide with fright. Two sets of strong arms held Nate in place. He heard the Chief’s voice in one ear, Sam’s in the other. Sam’s soft tones were the most compelling.

“Don’t, Nate. Hang on, buddy. We’re gonna get him for so much more. Hang in there.”

It took less than three minutes for Sam and the Chief to bring the room to order. Officers scurried about, picking up papers and fragments of smashed furniture. Sgt. Mulroney righted the table and replaced the broken chairs. Two burly policemen hoisted Jeb up off the floor and into a chair. His ashen-faced lawyer, uncharacteristically silent, sunk down in the chair next to his client. The only voices heard were Sam’s quiet orders and Jeb’s screaming threats.

Sam walked to the chair at the end of the table. At Nate’s nod, Sam settled in the command seat. Nate sat to one side, the Chief on the other.

Glancing at Jeb, Sam motioned to the officer standing at the injured man’s side.

“Cuff him.”

Jeb shrieked, “What the hell are you talking about? Cuff
me
?” Pointing to Nate, he yelled, “Tie up
that
maniac. The fucking asshole could have killed me. Goddammit, I’m going to file the biggest lawsuit you assholes have ever—”

Sam nodded to Sgt. Mulroney who jerked Jeb’s hands behind his back and cuffed him to the chair.

Over the sound of Jeb’s outraged screams, Sam’s voice was smooth, controlled. He nodded pleasantly to Jeb’s lawyer.

“It’s a precaution. We wouldn’t want your client to lose his temper again. We have a limited furniture budget.”

~~~

Jeb broke through the formal give and take between Sam and Marvin Gunther, Jeb’s

lawyer. It had taken Gunther a good five minutes to keep his voice from squeaking and beginning to sound like the practiced attorney that he was.

“You know of course, Commander Carter, that my client will be filing a suit against Detective Stryker. We will have the papers on your desk tomorrow morning. Meantime, I would like to go to the issue at hand, your charge that my client was in some way responsible for the hideous fires that took the life of two young people and destroyed—”

Jeb’s voiced was thick with hate.

“Shut the fuck up, Gunther! You’re talking to this asshole as if he was a real cop instead of Nate’s house boy.”

Gunther jerked back, not hiding his shock. He swallowed visibly and leaned closer to Jeb.

“For God’s sake, Jeb—”

“You heard me, you useless jackass. I said shut the fuck up! In case you don’t understand English, you’re fired. Just because every other god dammed lawyer in this town is a Jew, doesn’t mean I have to put up with an incompetent bastard like you. You sit there quaking like a pussy girl while five cops beat the shit out of me and you do nothing?”

Gunther pushed back in his chair. His once ashen face was flushed dark red. His lips were pressed in a firm line, his jaw rock solid. He glanced at his former client and then from Nate to the Chief. Taking a deep breath, he addressed Sam.

“I… I don’t know what to say, Commander Carter, other than to apologize for my former client. As for a suit against you, Nate, or the department, Chief Roberts, if Mr. Jones chooses to go forward he will need to get another attorney.”

The shaken man rose to his feet and placed the papers in front of him into his briefcase. Nodding to the men at the table, he straightened his shoulders and walked to the door, closing it firmly behind himself.

Sam let the silence settle over the room for a moment. He focused on Jeb through half-closed eyes.

“Well, now, Mr. Jones. It seems as though it is just you and
us.”

He glanced at the seven uniformed policemen stationed around the room in addition to Nate and the Chief.

If Jeb was concerned, he didn’t show it. Rather, his lip curled in an ugly sneer.

“It always was, asshole. Even a jungle monkey like you knows what side the cops are on in this town.”

His voice was rich with scorn as he glared at Sam.

“Feeling like a real cop now,
boy
? Now that your
Massa i
s letting you lead the interrogation because he’s too upset to talk?
Is that what you call this charade? An interrogation? Well, guess what, house boy? I ain’t interested in participating. Trust you and your goons will understand when I get up and leave.”

When he rattled the cuffs and started to stand, Sam motioned to the young cop behind him. Officer Dixon clamped his beefy hands on Jeb’s shoulders and shoved him down hard into the chair.

Jeb’s face turned purple with rage. He spit out the words, staccato shots of a Gatling gun.

“I’m warning you, nigger. In fact, I take that back. It ain’t a warning, it’s the God’s truth. You’re gonna die. Because me and my men are coming after you. First you, Sam-
bo
Carter, and then your boss.”

Sam studied him for a long moment. His distaste was clear. He looked at Jeb as though he were a foul substance that had unaccountably shown up at an afternoon tea.

He motioned to Sgt. Mulroney.

“Sergeant, please uncuff Mr. Jones… and then book him.”

Jeb’s gloating smile died. Confusion, then outrage replaced it.

“What the fuck? You… you’re
arresting
me? Me?”

When Sam nodded, Jeb barked, “On what charge?”

Sam shrugged and made a notation on a piece of paper and handed it to Officer Dixon.

“For speaking disrespectfully to a police officer.”

The Chief’s low chuckle filled the room. It was the first time he’d participated in the hour long drama. He winked at Nate.

“Apparently to the wrong officer.” He added, “That’s a new one to me but, hell, it’s as good a charge as any.”

As Mulroney and Dixon dragged a sputtering Jeb to the door, Nate turned to Sam and the Chief.

“Let’s hope we can keep him in long enough before the judge springs him to get him to St. Cloud. A few days in the general population at the state penitentiary will be elucidating to our frothing friend. Those animals view daughter-killers the same way they do pedophiles. They consider it a form of incest.”

He added as though as an afterthought, “Oh, and by all means, be sure and let the Cartel know where he is.”

Nate strode to the door then turned and faced his friend. The small smile tugging at his lips hurt, like the skin was too tight to stretch. It felt like years since he’d smiled.

“Thanks, Hollywood. Once again, a class act.”

He winked at the Chief with a disbelieving shrug.

“A limited furniture budget? I see you’re still sucking up to the brass, Sam.”

Nate’s smile didn’t wipe out the pain he felt, but it still felt good.

“Classy, Sam. Fucking classy.”

Chapter 24

Maggie held up her hand and shook her head when Sam entered.

“Wait, Sam.” Pointing to Sam’s private office, she lowered her voice. “Sarah Jones and her daughter, Francine, came to see Nate. I knew you said he wouldn’t be coming in, so I had them wait in your office. I hope that’s okay.”

Sam nodded. “Of course it is, Maggie. You did exactly right. Unless it’s an emergency Nate won’t be coming into the office today. Between the Chief and me, we managed to convince him to spend time with Erin and get some rest if he can.”

Maggie’s eyes filled with tears. “It’s such a tragedy, Sam. I don’t know if you knew it, but Nate was as close to a father as that poor girl ever had. To think that she….”

A deep sob kept Maggie from finishing her sentence. Sam draped his arm around her plump shoulders and hugged her close.

“I’ve heard from many others how close Nate and Melanie were. I also know that he and Tucker had a strong relationship. It’s a terrible tragedy. Nate is devastated, Maggie. I went with Erin and the Chief with Nate to Sarah’s yesterday morning. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve done. The grief in that room was overwhelming.”

Sam clenched his jaw remembering Jeb disowning his murdered daughter in the interrogation. The daughter he no doubt had killed. He closed his eyes for a moment to blot out the ugly scene with the contemptible man. Pressing his lips together, he squared his shoulders and prepared to meet with Sarah.

“Did you give them something to drink, Maggie?”

The teary woman raised her shoulders in a despairing shrug. “I offered it twice but I don’t think either one of them heard me.”

Sam nodded. “It’s okay. Give me a couple of bottles of water. I’ll see if I can get them to take something.”

Sarah glanced up at Sam’s entrance then peered down in her lap before reaching for Francine’s hand. Sam’s breath caught in his throat. Sarah looked like a ghost and Francine didn’t look much better. His heart went out to them both. He didn’t know how they’d made it to the station. Their fear was as palpable as their grief.

“Sarah, I’m glad to see you and Francine. Nate and all of us have been extremely worried about you both.”

Sam pulled up a chair next to Sarah. He reached out and took her hand.

“I know you are struggling to make sense of this tragedy, but please tell me how I can help. I will call Nate and let him know that you are here. He will be upset to have missed you. He’ll come immediately.”

To his surprise Sarah’s voice was surprisingly firm.

“No, Sam, absolutely not. If Jeb knew I was here, he’d be furious. I can’t take a chance of being seen with Nate. Jeb is already threatening to kill Nate.” She hesitated for a moment and bit her trembling lip. “He’s also… threatening to kill you, Sam. He… he hates you.”

“I know that, Sarah, but both Nate and I can take care of ourselves.”

Sarah shook her head.

“No, Sam, you have no idea what Jeb is like. When he says he will do something, he will.”

“Sarah, listen. You need to protect yourself. You and Francine. You can’t stay in your house. We arrested Jeb this morning but unless we can find credible evidence that ties him to the fires, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to make the charges stick. At the most, they’ll keep him until tomorrow. I heard Nate tell you how important it is that you and Francine leave your house. I hope that you will listen to him now.”

Sarah’s face paled. “I know. I know you’re right. That’s what I came to tell Nate. I didn’t dare call him. Jeb won’t let me have a cell phone and he monitors my calls on the house line. I’m leaving today. I… I need to pack some things and then I’m going to stay with a friend, someone Jeb doesn’t know. I don’t dare go to my family’s house. My mother is as afraid of Jeb as I am. I wanted to see if Nate could take care of Francine for me. His niece Norma is Francine’s best friend. Maybe Francine could stay there….”

Her voice trailed off as though she’d spoken as many words as her limited energy would allow.

Sam held one of her hands and spoke to Francine who was as pale as her mother.

“Of course, Sarah. Francine, I’ll take you over to Mama D’s myself. I’ll also arrange for a couple of men to take you home, Sarah, so that you can pack.”

“No!” Sarah shook her head fiercely. “No, Sam, you don’t understand. If any of Jeb’s men see me with you or other policemen they will tell him. He… knows everything I do.”

When Sam started to protest, Sarah grabbed for both of his hands.