Free Fatal Storm by Lee Driver Page A

search going for Sheila?” Dagger
asked. “Monroe must be driving everyone crazy.”
    “You don't know the half of it.” John pushed
at the air.
    “It's a big, damn mystery,” Padre said. He
leaned back and rocked in his chair. “He's got the National Guard,
cadaver dogs, you name it. Then he goes and puts out an award so
now we’re going to get every idiot in the country calling like they
spotted Big Foot.”
    “We'll make this quick then,” Dagger said. “I
received a request from a Kara Jensen regarding her missing
husband. He headed for the airport fourteen months ago and never
made it to Miami. A Sergeant Miles Vector worked the case.”
    “I remember him,” John said. “Night shift
pulled that one. A patrol officer found the car with a flat tire.
No driver, no spare, car unlocked. Vector worked that case hard.
The man's wife reminded Vector of his own daughter. There was a
baby girl from what I recall.”
    “Bella,” Sara offered. “She was six months
old when her father disappeared.”
    “You were on medical leave with a broken
ankle, Padre.” John tapped the side of his head in a gesture that
he hadn't lost any brain cells. “By the time you came back on duty,
you were hit hard with that drive-by over on Jackson Place.”
    “Is anyone assigned to the case now?” Dagger
looked from Padre to the chief of detectives.
    Wozniak gave a shrug. “I’d have to check
whose bottom drawer it’s in. I could give it to Spagnola since I
don't want him near the Monroe case. Have him dig it out of cold
storage.”
    “No, thanks,” Dagger replied. “I'd sooner
have a lobotomy than talk to that idiot.”
    “Still bad blood between you two?” Padre made
a tsking sound. “Thought you were over Sheila.”
    “I am. Just don't like Spagnola's attitude.
If you remember, Padre, he tends to use his fists when
interrogating.”
    John snapped his gaze to Padre. “What's
this?”
    Padre waved off the question. “Fill you in
later.” It was during the Friday the Thirteenth case that Joe had
hauled Dagger in for questioning since Dagger had a key to Sheila's
condo and someone had gained access and killed Sheila's assistant.
It was speculated that the killer's target had been Sheila. Since
Sheila and Dagger had not had a friendly breakup, Joe kept Dagger
on ice while the real killer was still out there, his sights turned
to Sara.
    Padre pecked at the keyboard and brought up
the Jensen file. “Very cold trail on this one. Media speculated
Jensen might have taken off with a new squeeze.”
    John asked, “Have you spoken with the
wife?”
    “We wanted to get an update from your
department first,” Dagger replied.
    “According to her letter, Kara swears they
had a solid marriage and, besides, Rick would never have left
Bella. She was his world.” Sara pulled out a wedding photo of the
happy couple.
    John heaved himself off the couch and leaned
over Padre's shoulder. “Looks like my wedding photo, all three of
them. We all look happy on that day, then it's downhill from
there.”
    Sara handed them a photo of Bella, her eyes
bright and smiling, a pink band in her hair.
    “She is a cutie,” Padre agreed.
    “Rick even went so far as to get a tattoo
with Bella's name on the rim of a bell.” Sara showed them a photo
of Rick in a sleeveless tee shirt, his arm turned toward the
camera.
    Padre's jaw went slack. John grabbed the
photo and stared. “When did he disappear?”
    “Fourteen months ago,” Dagger said.
“Why?”
    “Can't be,” Padre said. “Our vic just died
and his tattoo is fresh, certainly not fourteen months old.”
    “What are you talking about?” Dagger
asked.
    “I don't understand,” Sara chimed in.
    Padre said, “Want to take a trip to the
morgue?”
     
     
- 17 -
     
    Padre handed Luther the case file on Rick
Jensen. “We may have identified your John Doe.”
    Dagger wasn't concerned or shocked that
seeing a dead body didn't bother Sara. Padre and John, on the other
hand, weren't sure