Round 4 – The Bomber’s End December 31, 2018
Weeks had gone by since the Harbor Bay bomb squad found the explosive device on the Sunrise Casino. The police department resumed their usual routine. The task force members were needed back at their normal duties. The Chief of Police declared the bomber had moved on.
However, Detective Tessa Riley thought otherwise. Something kept nagging in the back of her mind. On her free time, Riley checked everyone who worked on the task force, looking for a missing clue. Along with Detective Mallery, she thought the bomber had to be someone on the inside.
During an after work session, the two detectives found a lead on one of the bomb squad members. Bomb specialist, Erin Rodgers, received a large deposit around each of the major bomb threats: the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the El Chico, and the Sunrise Casino bombs.
Looking deeper into her backup, they discovered she was passed up for promotion last January. There was only one detective slot opening in the bomb squad unit, and it went to another member. She had become sloppy in her work and had been reprimanded several times after the promotion loss. Lately, her work became exemplary, so there were no obvious signs of her being the bomber. It was late and Riley suggested talking to her first thing in the morning. Mallery agreed.
At three a.m., Riley’s phone vibrated on the nightstand. She rolled over and answered groggily, “Riley.”
“Rise and shine Detective, there’s been a fire in the abandoned warehouses on Apollo. One fatality has been reported and the fire department has finally contained the blaze. You definitely want to come down and check it out. I believe the bomber has started again.”
“Shit. Okay. I will be there in fifteen minutes. Did you call Detective Mallery?”
“No, I figured one call would get you both,” the officer said with a slight laugh.
“Well, officer, you figured wrong. I will call him on the way in. Next time follow protocol.”
“Yes, ma’am,” stuttered the officer.
Tessa disconnected the call and quickly dressed. She grabbed her phone, weapon, and keys as she hurried to her new SUV. Once on the road, she said, “Call Bob.” Her Bluetooth dialed the number. After two rings, a sleepy voice answered.
“Hey babe, what’s up?”
“It looks like our bomber is back. Meet you at the abandoned warehouses on Apollo. I’m headed there now.”
“Crap. Why didn’t I get called?”
“The brilliant officer thought he could notify both of us with one call. I told him to follow protocol. You can tell him anything you like when you get there.”
“I’ll be there right away.”
Detective Riley disconnected the call as she pulled into the parking lot in front of the warehouses. Lights were flashing everywhere. She saw the fire chief and approached him.
“Hi, Chief.”
“Detective Riley, I’m glad you are here. I’m having difficulty keeping the message left for you readable. It’s over this way.” Riley followed him to a section of dry pavement that had been taped off. She saw the message and quickly took a photo with her phone.
Mallery joined them, and he read the message, Have you missed me? I gave you time to figure out who I am, but you didn’t. Now there will be one fire a day till you catch me. They are so pretty in the dead of night.
“Do you see Rodgers here? It looks like all hands on deck.”
“Yes, there she is with the unit. Let me go over and talk to them.”
As Mallery joined his unit, Riley looked around. She noticed the bystanders, even in the middle of the night. Spectators had been at all the bomb sites. She started taking pictures inconspicuously of the people behind the barricade the police created. When she finished, she went over to the ambulance to see the victim.
Mallery joined her as she lifted the edge of the cover off the victim.
“Two firemen found him close to the door. He must have been overcome by smoke inhalation before getting out of the warehouse. From the looks of his clothes, he was homeless,” said Bob.
“Yeah, he was probably sleeping in the building.” After lowering the cover, Riley pulled Mallery over to the side, so as not to be overheard. “There is something we never thought of while investigating these fires. At each one there were spectators. Maybe there was a single person at each one. A person who wanted to view his or her handiwork. I took some pictures of this crowd. I bet if we check the internet, we’ll find pictures at the other bombings. I’ll call Detective Smiley to get started on the internet check while we drive to the office.
Exiting the elevator, Smiley was waiting for Riley and Mallery. “I think I found someone. He is at the parade, which doesn’t mean much. However, he is in the crowd around El Chico as the fire trucks are hosing down the fire. I didn’t spot him on the Sunrise Casino ship, but there was such a crowd there. He could be hidden or avoiding anything looking like a camera. Then I decided to view the security footage at the marina. Bingo, our man,” Smiley stopped short. A couple of men came around the corner.
Mallery looked expectantly at Smiley for some kind of clue. He dropped his eyes to her hands to see her signing ‘middle.’ The man in the middle was Detective Obermann from Major Crimes. He was on the task force and would have had ample opportunity to bug the Captain’s phone. Mallery nodded and walked off with Riley to the Captain’s office. On the way, he told Riley his suspicions. He saw her look at her phone and found Obermann. She nodded agreement.
They knocked on the Captain’s door, and he said, “Enter.”
They closed the door behind them and sat in front of his desk. “Captain Turner, I believe we found our suspect, but you are not going to like it. Riley came up with the idea that the suspect could have been in the crowd watching as the fire he created was being put out. We had Detective Smiley check internet footage of the bombings, since Riley took pictures at this latest fire. We discovered Detective Obermann in three of the four big fires. He was also at your marina. We don’t have a motive, but he looks good for the bomber.”
“I think I can help you with the motive. He is under investigation for items missing in the evidence lockup. The items were essential to some cases that got thrown out because of insufficient evidence. Internal Affairs are just about to bring him in for questioning. He’s been dating a secretary in IA that probably warned him of the investigation.”
“We saw him in the hallway with two other men. They were dressed as they belong to IA,” said Mallery.
The captain’s phone rang. It was a quick conversation. After he hung up, he told Riley and Mallery that IA arrested Obermann, and he is in interrogation. “Do you guys want to question him on the bombings?”
“Yes,” they both answered at the same time.
After forty-five minutes of interrogation, Obermann confessed, because the District Attorney removed the death penalty from the table. It appeared he would spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“Are you going to ask Erin Rodgers about those deposits?” asked Tessa.
“No. We have our bomber. I trust her to be on the bomb squad unit. If her work becomes sloppy again, the question may be asked.”
They each went to their departments and typed up their reports. They both got involved in new cases to complete their days. Around five pm. Tessa cleared up her desk and called Bob. When he answered, she asked, “How about some dinner? It has been a long day.”
“Sounds great. Why don’t I pick up something and bring it to your place? After eating, I could give you a message.”
“I’m all in. See you soon.”
Tessa got home and removed her work clothes and put on a terry robe. She was so ready for the message. She went into the kitchen and opened a bottle of wine. When it popped open, the doorbell rang. She answered the door, and Bob’s eyes widened.
“I think I want to skip dinner and go right to the message,” said Tessa.
“I’m all in!”
Round 3, Where Will It Be June 2018
Four weeks after the El Chico bombing, Tessa and Bob were no closer to finding the bomber. The explosion killed 10 and injured 50 others. The restaurant was crowded, but most of the patrons were on the outdoor patio listening to a mariachi band. The bomb went off in the kitchen, on the other side of the restaurant. The death toll could have been a whole lot worse.
Because the police couldn’t find the bomber, the mayor elected to cancel all activities, until further notice. Harbor Bay came to a standstill.
Tessa and Bob worked tirelessly to figure out who was responsible. They were pulled off other cases unless absolutely needed. As they spent more time together, Tessa started letting her guard down. Their attraction for one another became something they couldn’t ignore anymore.
Tessa started rubbing her temples and sighed. “We’re not finding anything helpful. I’m getting the feeling he is going to call again, and we won’t be able to stop him.”
Standing behind her, Bob started messaging her shoulders, and she groaned in relief. “We need to take a step back. We will start fresh tomorrow. Come home with me tonight,” he whispered in her ear.
“I shouldn’t, but I need to take my mind off this case. I’ll follow you, in case I get a call and need to leave.”
“Believe me, I’ll take your mind off the case,” Bob said, wiggling his eyes.
They left the office and drove to Bob’s place. As soon as he locked the door behind them, he pulled her into his arms and started kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her body closer to his.
Breaking the kiss, he said, “Let’s take this to the bedroom. I have been waiting a long time, and I want you now.”
Bob led her to his bedroom and clothes flew everywhere. They joined together in the bed. They came together fast and hard. He thought of nothing but giving them both pleasure and making Tessa forget the case.
Several hours later, Tessa woke up. At first, she was confused as to where she was, then the incredible sex came back to her. She smiled as she eased out of bed and picked up her clothes as she walked to the bathroom. After dressing, she went back into the bedroom. She watched Bob sit up in the bed, the sheet covering his lower half.
“I need to go,” Tessa said, as she picked up her phone and keys.
“I’m not surprised. FYI, your phone beeped while you were in the other room.”
“Thanks.” She checked her messages while walking towards the door. She suddenly stopped and turned around. “You’re going to want to see this.”
She handed her phone to Bob, and he read the message:
Round number three. What venue to use. Land or sea. Which do you choose?
“What’s with the damn riddles.” Tessa moved as Bob jumped out of bed to pull on his jeans.
“There must be a clue in there. This weekend is a beach cleanup with a picnic gathering on Sunday at the pavilion on the beach. The focus of the cleanup is to collect the plastic debris. The event ties in with World Environment Day. This maniac could be targeting the picnic. The latest news on the event is Mayor Early and Representative Foley will be attending,” said Tessa.
“Next weekend, Early relented to allow the showing of the Belmont Stakes at the park. A big gathering is expected to see if the favored horse will win the triple crown. I heard some local politicians will be in attendance. Both gatherings would cause several casualties.”
“They both fit his clue, ‘Land or sea.’ At least they’re not at the same time. Let’s get to the office and start calling people in. We need to check both the areas and see if there is something we’re missing.”
On the way back to the office, Bob’s phone rang. “Mallery.”
“Detective, you might want to check the Bay Harbor Marina. I hear early morning fireworks are going to appear.”
“Who is this?”
“What fun would that be? I’ll let you in on a secret. This isn’t the big one.” The caller hung up.
Bob wanted to throw his phone but needed to let Tessa know he was heading to the marina. After three rings, she answered. “Tessa, I just got a call from the bomber. He told me to check out Bay Harbor Marina. I am headed there. You go in and call your detectives. The bomber said it wasn’t the big one.”
“Bob, my captain has a boat at the marina. He made a comment yesterday that he was going to take an early morning ride before coming in. He’s probably just arriving at the marina.”
“I’ll call him and let him know. See you later.” Bob put on his police lights and beelined to the marina. He pulled in just as he saw Captain Turner get out of his car. He squealed to a stop behind the captain’s car.
“What’s up, Mallery?”
“Sir, I received a call of a bomb threat here. I don’t think it is a coincidence that you’re going for a morning ride. Let’s take it nice and slow to your boat.”
Just as their feet hit the deck, heading toward the captain’s boat, they heard the explosion. They ran down to see the captain’s boat in flames.
“Captain, we need to move back. The embers from your boat could catch the next one. I called the fire department once I heard you were going to be taking a morning ride.”
Fire trucks pulled into the marina and began to extinguish the fire. One hose was spraying water on the neighboring boats to prevent the fire spreading.
“How did this psycho know I was going for a morning ride? I only told my wife late yesterday afternoon. Ugh, I used my office phone because I left my cell in my car. I’ll have it checked for bugs. I got a late start or else, I would have been on the boat.”
“Do you think this is an inside job? Last month they knew where we were and placed the bomb at another restaurant. We got lucky finding the first one.”
“The fire is under control. I’ll come back later to access the damage. I want to get to the office and check for anything suspicious. Maybe somebody will slip and give us a clue.”
As Bob drove to the station, he was trying to put the pieces together. At the office, he told Tessa what he was thinking. “The first one was too easy to find. The second threat, there were two bombs. My house and the restaurant. Will there be three this time? Two little ones to throw us off, before the big one.”
Tessa said, “If that is the case, we have had number one, the captain’s boat.”
“Your captain and I were thinking this could be an inside job. Let’s keep that quiet. Maybe, the bomber will get cocky.”
“Detective Smiley found a potential target. There’s a fundraising for the mayor’s re-election campaign. It’s to be held on the Suncruise Casino ship tomorrow night.”
“That would be a great target for a bomber. I’m sure there will be lots of dignitaries and important people attending.”
“I agree. We need to check that boat thoroughly.”
“Hey Riley, do you own a Blue Tucson?” A detective shouted from the windows overlooking employee parking.
“Yeah, why?”
“It just burst into flames.”
Riley and Mallery ran across the room to the windows. She watched her car burn and heard the sirens of the fire truck. The car next to her’s exploded. Luckily, she parked near the end of the aisle. “I’m beginning to believe your theory of inside job,” she whispered to Bob. He nodded his head. “And that is number two.”
After they were through dealing with her car, Bob said, “I’ll give you a ride home.” When they were on the road, Bob said, “Tomorrow morning, I will select my most trusted team members. We’ll go over that ship from stem to stern. There’ll be no explosion.”
“I want to be there.”
“I need you in the squad room, searching for other targets. We don’t want to give away that we might know the target.”
“Okay. I’ll handle things at the office. If anyone asks where you are, I’ll tell them you had some off-site training that couldn’t be put off.”
Bob pulled up to Tessa’s condo. “I’ll pick you up in the morning and drop you off at the office.”
“Bob, I enjoyed last night and thought maybe we could have a repeat. Do you want to come up?”
“I thought you would never ask.” He parked the car, they went to her apartment and had a wonderful night.
The next morning, Bob drove to the station. Tessa went to the squad room, while he went to the bomb squad area. He selected his crew, and they went to search the ship.
Usually, the cruise ship went out twice a day, for gambling. Today, they canceled the morning cruise to prepare for the evening fundraiser.
They started searching on the deck and worked their way down, floor by floor. It was taking a long time to check every nook and cranny. Officer Talty called Bob with a viable threat in the engine room. Bob ordered everyone off the ship and joined Talty. The bomb was C-4 with a remote detonator. As a fail-safe, there was a timer to go off at 8 p.m. Bob was able to disarm and removed the timer safely. The ship was safe. He removed the C-4 and place it in a bomb-proof box. They left the ship, and he called Tessa.
“Riley.”
“Ship is all clear. We found the bomb. It was set to go off at 8 pm. The ship would have been four miles from shore. Don’t let on that everything is good. We will continue to discuss possible sites.
At 8:05 p.m., Tessa answered her phone.
“Congratulations. Round three is yours. Next time you will not be so lucky. Believe me, Detective, you and your friend will not find me or my bomb. Goodnight.”
“Well, the bomber conceded round three to us. However, he is not through. Let’s call it a night.”
Tessa and Bob left the night. They’ll continue the search tomorrow.
2nd Round with Bomber May 2018
It was the first of May, and six weeks since the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Detective Tessa Riley had not found the bomber. She used every spare moment between cases to review everything. She hoped something would pop out but still nothing. At least, the bomber had been quiet. Her gut was telling her that was going to change soon.
It was the end of the day, and Tess saw Bob Mallery walked into the Major Crimes unit. Tessa and Bob had been going out for a bite to eat a couple times a week. Tessa could sense Bob wanted more, but Tessa didn’t like dating co-workers. Even though they worked in different departments, if things went sour, it would make working together awkward.
“Hi, Bob. Give me a minute to clear my desk, and I’ll be ready to go.”
“Okay, what are you in the mood for today?”
“How about Harbor Diner? They have a good selection. I’m not sure what I want to eat.”
“Sounds good. I love their Big Slam Burger platter.”
“Ugh! How can you eat that? Eggs don’t belong on burgers. That’s just not right!”
“That’s the best part.” He was joking with her, knowing she didn’t like the burger.
She got her bag out of the bottom drawer when her desk phone rang. She gave an exasperated sigh and said, “I knew I wouldn’t get out of here without a call.”
“Riley.”
“Oh, Detective. It has been too long. I think round two should begin. Saturday will be a big day in Harbor Bay, and I think it calls for something extra. So many places to check.” The caller hung up. Tessa slowly lowered the phone with a bleak look on her face.
“Tessa, what’s wrong?”
Tessa plopped into her chair and said, “He’s back. The bomber from St. Patrick’s Day. He said Saturday would be a big day.” Looking at the calendar, she saw that Saturday was May 5th. There would be Cinco de Mayo celebrations and the Mayor has allowed a big screen in Harbor Park for the showing of the Kentucky Derby. The bomber was correct, there were many places to check.
“It looks like tonight just became a brainstorming session. I will call the Jade Palace to send some food over. We will work from here,” said Bob. Four days to figure out the spot and stop the bomb from going off.
Bob placed the ordered for a variety of dishes, and Tessa put up a map for them to see possible places for bombs. She put a red pin at the Harbor Park. She knew that would be the maximum target.
At 1 a.m., Tessa’s phone rang again.
“Riley.”
“Corre por las rosas! Which to choose. I think I will get this round.”
“Why are you doing this?”
For her answer, the bomber hung up.
“What did he say?” asked Bob.
“’Corre por las rosas!’ My Spanish is rusty, but I think that means ‘Run for the Roses.’ Does that mean the bomb will be at the park, or is he trying to confuse us? Since he was using Spanish, maybe he’ll target one of the Mexican restaurants.”
“Until you just mentioned it, I completely forgot. Today, I was invited to a big Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Mi Casa restaurant. My sister’s boss is holding a big party there. His family is from Mexico and owns the place. They do a big celebration every year. I was going to ask you if you would like to come with me, maybe as a date.”
“Bob, I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
“Yeah, I figured you would say that. But, the restaurant could be a likely place for a bomb. If it is a big shindig, there will be a lot of casualties.” Bob placed a red pin on the location of the Mi Casa restaurant.
“My eyes are getting cross-eyed trying to figure this out. Let’s call it a night and talk to our people tomorrow. Maybe something else is going on Saturday that we are unaware of. “
They walked out to the parking garage, said good night, and went home.
Bob couldn’t understand why Tessa was against going on a date. They had a good time when they went to dinner. The only thing that pissed him off was her insistence on paying for her own meal. She was so damn independent. He really liked her and wanted to get to know her better. Sometimes, when he asked her a question, she changed the subject. She didn’t want him to get too close.
Oh well, they had a bomber to catch. After that, he was going to talk to her about her reluctance to date. Why did the bomber wait six weeks? Granted there were no big-time celebrations in April. The only thing of significance was Earth Day. If he wanted to get a politician, that would have been an opportune time. However, the event was out in the open with no place to hide a bomb.
Bob hoped the bomber didn’t choose Mi Casa. His whole family was going, that was why his sister asked him to the event. She was trying to involve him in family events. His family didn’t approve of his career choice, so he didn’t see them very often. However, he trained to be an explosives expert in the army. It only made sense to join the bomb unit when he was discharged.
He pulled into his driveway. There was a strange package at his front door. He knew he didn’t order anything, and his friends and family knew not to leave something without letting him know. Warning bells were going off in his brain. He slowly walked up to the front step, squatted down to take a look. He was about to stand up when the box exploded. It knocked him three feet in the air, and he landed hard. His ears were ringing, but he thought he heard a car squeal away.
He stood up and pulled his phone out of his back pocket. It broke when he landed on it. His front door was blown inward. He walked slowly, trying to avoid any trace evidence, into his house. He called 911 and waited inside until police arrived. While he was waiting, he called his office and told the night squad to come out to investigate the scene.
Ten minutes later, a cruiser, his squad vehicle, and Tessa’s car showed up.
“What happened?” one of the officers asked.
“I arrived home and saw this package by my front door. I looked around, being careful to stay away from it. When I was standing up, the bomb went off. My ears were ringing, but I believe I heard a car squeal away.”
“Are you okay? Did you get hit by any debris?” asked Tessa.
“No. I was thrown back about three feet and landed hard on the ground. I broke my cell when I landed.”
“Your face has some scratches, probably from flying debris. They don’t look serious, just need to be cleaned. I will get my first aid kit from my car.”
“By the way, Tessa. How did you know to come here?”
“I always listen to the police scanner and heard the call for the closest unit to come to this address. I knew it was your place.” She walked to her car for the first aid kit.
Bob was finished with his report and talking to his squad leader. He saw Tessa.
“Let’s go inside, and you can check my scratches,” he said with a grin.
“Do you want to know my theory of what happened?”
“Tessa, a box exploded on my front stoop. I am sure it is a message to me, but I don’t know what it could be.”
“I think he wanted to make sure you were incapacitated, so you couldn’t help me figure out where the bomb was in time. The timing is too convenient.”
“Ow! Be careful with that.”
“Sorry.” Bob didn’t think she looked sorry.
When she finished, he told her what his investigators could gather from the evidence. It looked to be the same kind of bomb they dismantled six weeks prior. “It must have had a remote detonator. When I got close, he pushed the button. I’m glad I stayed back some. I’m very suspicious of strange packages. You need to keep a watch out. If he got to me, he may try to take you out too.”
“I’ll be careful. Do you need a place to stay since you have no front door? I have a spare bedroom if you need a place to crash.”
“That would be great. One of my squad members is going to stay the night to keep out the riff-raff.” He gathered a few things and followed Tessa to her place.
The week went by, and they were no closer to finding the target. Saturday arrived, and Tessa headed a team to the park to thoroughly check it out, while Bob took his squad to Mi Casa to make sure it was clear. Nothing was found in either place.
At 7 p.m., Tessa’s cell phone rang. She was at the restaurant with Bob.
“Riley.”
“Detective, round two goes to me. Check out El Chico restaurant, or what’s left of it anyway.” The caller hung up laughing.
“He blew up El Chico.”
They left the party to go investigate the crime scene.
Bomb Threat March-April 2018
“Hello, 911 dispatch. How may I help you?”
“There is a bomb that will go off during the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.”
“Excuse me, could you repeat what you just said?”
“I said, BOMB DURING PARADE.” The caller hung up.
Tessa Riley, a Major Crimes detective, helping in the dispatch area, called the supervisor over to listen to the message. After he heard it, he called the head of the bomb squad, Lt. Robert Mallery.
After listening to the message, Mallery said, “Tessa, can you set up a task force quickly to help determine the most likely places for a bomb on the parade route. I will get the bomb squad prepared. The parade is tomorrow morning. We need to make sure that the bomb doesn’t go off.”
“I will call my team in and some volunteers. We will track the route of the parade and pinpoint possible locations that would cause the most damage. I will talk to my captain and find out if any dignitaries are going to be at the parade. My team will concentrate on those areas first and fan out from there.”
Detective Riley assembled her team and twelve patrolmen that were not on duty. They had the parade route enlarged and posted on the whiteboard. Riley explained the situation to them and asked them to locate possible target areas. She needed to go talk to the captain.
Riley knocked on the captain’s door and entered. “Captain, we have a situation. I was volunteering in dispatch this morning and received a disturbing call. The caller said there was going to be a bomb explosion during the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The bomb squad is on alert, and I have a team checking the route for likely locations. Do you know if anyone of prominence will be attending?”
“Yes, the mayor and his family will be riding in the parade. He asked the Chief of Police and the captains to be at the end of the route. He’ll be giving a speech about the successful capture of the terrorist group smuggling drugs in the port. We stopped fifty kilos of cocaine entering our streets. We still don’t know what the terrorists were planning to do with the drugs, but we crippled their plans.”
“Ok. We’ll have the bomb squad check the mayor’s car thoroughly and the platform at the end of the parade route. We’ll still try to find other positions that would be good hiding places for a bomb.”
“Keep me in the loop. I’ll call the chief and let him know what is going on.”
“Will do.”
Tessa went back to the squad room and saw different color markers on the map. Before getting into the discussion of the locations, she called Lt. Mallery.
“Mallery here.”
“Bob, we have two possibilities now. The mayor and his family will be riding in the parade, and he’s having a press conference at the end of the route. There’s probably a platform being constructed today for the event. I still need to talk to my team and see what they’ve come up with. I thought you might what to get started checking those two areas.”
“Thanks, Tessa. I’ll send two teams out. Let me know if you come up with anything else.”
“Will do.”
Tessa went over to the board and said, “Talk to me. What do the different colors represent.”
Detective Angela Smiley said, “We decided to break the possibilities into three groups. The red are primary targets, the yellow secondary, and the white represents very slim chance.”
“How did you determine the importance of a location?”
“We looked at the surrounding area, and the red ones denote areas of the most collateral damage. Between buildings in the zone and the people that could congregate there, it would be a catastrophic event. We have some banks, one hospital, and police headquarters involved.”
“I see police headquarters is at the end of the route. The mayor is going to give a speech. I have already informed the bomb squad of that siting. I’ll let them know to check the whole area. This is good work. Do you believe these are the only areas?”
“Yes, if a bomb is to go off, it will be in one of these areas.”
“Okay, I want us to split up and check these locations. Look everywhere; garbage bins, manhole covers, or storm drains. If you find anything suspicious, call it in. Do not touch anything, let the bomb squad handle it. Let’s go.”
Most officers and detective took a picture of the map with their phone cameras and worked among themselves who would go were. As the team headed out, Angela started searching the database for anyone with bomb-making experience that may have been recently paroled.
Tessa sent a copy of the map to the bomb squad and then started checking the names Angela found. One name stood out, Clive Morgan. Tessa arrested him for placing a bomb in a recycle bin in front of his ex-wife’s house. His ex-wife moved out of the area when he went to prison. She jotted all his information in her notebook to check on later.
Two hours later, another call came into 911 dispatch. “I see you are taking my last call seriously, but you will not find it in time. There will be fireworks at the parade.” The caller hung up with an eerie laugh. The supervisor from dispatch called Tessa and Robert about the new call.
There were only a couple hours of daylight left in the day to check all the possible locations. After receiving the phone call about the newest threat, Tessa called Robert.
“Bob, I feel we’re missing something. We’ve searched most of our designated spots and nothing is showing up.”
“Yeah, we got a couple of calls on something that looks suspicious, but nothing was found.”
They decided to meet up at the dispatch office and listen to the last call. They wanted to see if there was anything out of the ordinary that could be picked up in the background. Maybe if they found the caller, they could find the bomb.
After listening to the recording several times, Tessa finally heard the chimes in the background. The call came in at 3 p.m. and there were three chimes. The call ended abruptly on the last chime. There was only one church in the city that chimed on the hours. The address of the church was a couple of blocks from the address of the parolee that Angela and Tessa had found.
“Come on Bob, I have an idea where the bomber may be.” She explained to him what she had found earlier, and the connection with the church.
They pulled up in front of Morgan’s house. They saw a light in the garage.
“While you try to distract him at the front door, I am going to take a quick peek in the garage,” said Bob.
Once Tessa knocked on the door, the light went out in the garage and the front porch light came on. The door opened, and Morgan recognized Tessa.
“Well, hello, Detective Riley. What brings you to my humble abode?”
“We do spot checks on recent parolees, and I wanted to make sure you are keeping your nose clean. What have been up to, Morgan?”
“I got a job at a garage. I learned auto mechanics in prison. I can give you my boss’s number. She can vouch for me.”
“I’ll take that number and let you be for now.” Morgan handed her the phone number for his boss and said good night.
Bob met Tessa back at the car, and said, “Looks like he was working on a car. From what I could see of his work table, it showed nothing looking like bomb paraphernalia. He doesn’t look like the bomber.”
“Let’s head back to the precinct and see if anything new came up.
Throughout the night, all the search teams reported in and nothing was found. They all showed up in the station house to determine the next step. There would be no resting until the bomb was neutralized.
“I still think we are missing something. Roger, did you check the mayor’s cars carefully?”
“Yes.”
“Tessa, my daughter is dating the mayor’s son, and he complained about having to ride with his family in the parade. He said the only upside was the sweet ride in the convertible,” asserted Officer Bullock.
“We didn’t see any convertible at the mayor’s house. We checked all his personal calls. He must be riding in a rental, so spectators can see him and his family,” said Roger.
“We need to find that car. It is late tonight. That will be the first thing we check out early in the morning. I know everyone is tired, but I think we should check all spots again, in case the bomber decided to put the bomb out at the last minute,” said Tessa.
Early the next morning, all spots were rechecked. Tessa found out about the convertible, and she and Bob went to check the car. Bob searched and found the bomb. He called the bomb squad and deactivated the bomb.
Tessa called all the search teams off. Crisis averted. A couple of police officers were placed around the car to keep it safe until the start of the parade.
The parade was a success and all spectators safely listened to the mayor give his speech. Tessa saw the group outside the window. They found the bomb in time, but not the person responsible. Her desk phone started ringing.
“Riley here.”
“Detective, you won round one. There will be more.” At the dial tone, Tessa stared at the receiver before placing it back in the rack. She believed that the bomber was only beginning. For some reason, the bomber was playing a cat and mouse game.
Duncan Dogs February 2018
Nancy Duncan, sat at her desk in her home office, opening the never-ending mail piled beside her computer. Each letter was a version of the last. There were many veterans suffering from PTSD who could benefit from having an emotional support dog. Unfortunately, Duncan Dogs lack the funding to provide training for more than a couple of dogs. Not nearly enough for all the people who need them.
Nancy pondered the situation and came up with a solution. A fundraiser would spread awareness of the need for training more dogs for the veterans who could use the emotional support a dog could provide them. She knew who to call to help sponsor the event. The Buttles had a son serving in the Marines, and they supported anything that pertained to helping veterans.
After a couple of rings, Betty answered.
“Hello, Betty. I wanted to ask you if you would like to help me sponsor a fundraiser. I receive more letters from psychiatrist asking for dogs for their patients. My funds have been depleted from the advertising, building the kennels, and hiring a trainer. The three dogs I have now were donated. The money we raise would be used to hire another trainer and get some more dogs.”
“I think that is a marvelous idea. I know the perfect place to have it, and I will send out invitations to the people I know who want to help our returning veterans. I will ask them to spread the word. I believe in what you are doing with the dogs, and the emotional support they can give a veteran suffering from the traumas they have endured.”
They decided on a date a month away. Nancy had one dog, Kit, fully trained and ready to have the recipient, SgtMjr Thomas Kindle, work with the dog, so they could make sure owner and dog fit. If everything worked out, Nancy and the Buttles thought the event would be the perfect place to announce the first dog placement.
She picked up the next letter. It was different, coming from a developer who wanted the parcel of land that the house and kennels sat on. Mr. Calhoun had bought up all the free land around, and her plot sat square in the middle. A distant cousin signed the area over to her to help Nancy establish Duncan Dogs. Her cousin had a son who committed suicide when he returned from Iraq. The depression was too much for him to bear. Nancy’s cousin thought if his son had someone or something, like a dog, to connect with, he would still be alive.
The letter was short but threatening for her to sell to him, so that he could develop the land into a housing development. The stationary letterhead had an email address. She sent a negative response to the developer, stating that she needed the quiet space to do the initial training of the dogs. Further into the training, the dogs were exposed to people and noisy areas. The purpose was to teach the dogs to stay in tune with their handlers.
After sending the email, Nancy walked out to the kennels. When she arrived, she noticed the lock had been cut. She rushed in and saw Kit’s gate open. She went inside and found Kit lying still, barely breathing. Nancy quickly got her cell phone out and called the veterinarian. Dr. Ken Castle told her he would be there as soon as he could.
Nancy started investigating the area. She smelled the food in the bowl, and it had a foul odor. She quickly went to the other two dogs and was relieved they were at their gates, wagging their tails. She checked their bowls and found them to smell okay. She went back to Kit’s pen and waited for the Ken.
Fifteen minutes later, Ken arrived. By this time, Kit was laboring to breath. Nancy told him about the foul smell in Kit’s food. The diagnosis was poison. Ken gave the dog something to make Kit expel the tainted food. Both sat with the dog all night. By morning, Kit was breathing better and started moving around.
“I think Kit will be fine. I believe we got the poison out before it entered into Kit’s system and organs. Keep a watch on her and make sure she eats and drinks throughout the day,” suggested Ken.
“Thank you so much. I don’t know how this happened. I will keep a watch out for anything suspicious. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“I would love one. Do you have any idea who would want to hurt Kit? She’s almost ready to be placed, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she finished her training and the veteran is coming to work with her to make sure they fit. I haven’t had any other problems, that I am aware of. I will ask the volunteers when I see them this afternoon. I did receive a disturbing letter from the developer who wants my land. I don’t see how this would benefit him though.” As they were walking toward the house, they didn’t see the shadowy figure that left the kennel and hurried into the trees surrounding the property.
Once inside the house, Nancy started the coffee. She told Ken about the fundraiser she was going to have to raise awareness for Duncan Dogs.
“That sounds like a great idea. Can I escort you to the event?”
Nancy and Ken had dated a couple of times and had a great time. She told him she would be honored. As she was pouring the coffee, her cell phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but she had several volunteers that could be calling her.
“Hello.”
“This time you got to your precious dogs, next time you won’t be so lucky.” The call ended.
“That was strange. Someone called and said I was lucky to have gotten to Kit on time. They threatened all my dogs.”
“You need to call the police. I was going to mention it when your phone rang. I am going to donate a security system around the kennel and house. You live out here all alone with the dogs, and it is a long way into town.”
“Thank you for your donation.” She hugged Ken. She called the police and reported the break in and the poisoning of Kit. They said they would send someone out immediately.
Ken left to open his office. Nancy went back out to the kennels to check on Kit. The gate was opened. She remembered closing it even though she couldn’t lock it. Looking in on Kit, she was relieved to find the dog walking around. She got some fresh food and water to place in the cage.
She went to the gate when she heard a car approach. The police officers checked the gate and picked up the cut lock as evidence. Nancy explained how the gate was open when she came back out. The officers looked around with Nancy and saw no other tampering. Kit’s food was bagged to be analyzed. Outside the gate, they noticed some footprints going towards the trees that looked fresh. One followed them and discovered tire tracks. He returned and reported what he saw. They told her to report anything suspicious.
A couple of the volunteers showed up, and she explained what happened. While she was talking to them, a van drove up. It was from APT Security. They were to install cameras and a security code lock on the gate. The installer suggested to Nancy to give the code to only people she trusted.
Later in the afternoon, the trainer, Lou, came to talk to Nancy. While working with a sluggish Kit, he had kept a watch on the volunteers.
“How is Kit doing? Is he able to work with the veteran later this week?” asked Nancy.
“He is a little slow, but I believe he will be fine when the time comes. I also notice that new volunteer with red hair spent a lot of time around the food area for the dogs. He was looking for something. After what happened to Kit, I thought I should let you know.”
“Thank you, Lou. Could you walk out there with me? I walked around the area with the police and didn’t find anything. I am curious if we missed something.”
They walk to the food area and searched through the bags. Nancy recognized the smell of Kit’s bowl and found a bag that was hidden behind several others. Lou put on his gloves and set the bag aside. Nancy’s phone began to ring.
“Hello.”
“Ms. Duncan, this is Officer Talbot. I was there earlier this morning. We got a fingerprint match from the cut lock. The prints belong to Tobias Reed. Does that name mean anything to you?”
“Yes, he is one of my volunteers. My trainer noticed him around the food area, searching for something. We came out and found a bag that smelled like Kit’s bowl. We set it aside. Did you find out anything about the poison used?”
“No, they are still testing. Is Tobias still there?”
“No, I saw him leave as we walked out to the kennel area. I don’t know why he would want to hurt the dogs.”
“We will pick him up and question him. We will let you know what we find out.”
Nancy told Lou what the police said. They did a check on the dogs and went their separate ways.
Later that night, Nancy got a call from Officer Talbot. “We talked to Tobias. He was offered $1,000 to poison all the dogs, but could only get to the one before you walked in. He hid in the shadows until you and the vet left. His were the tracks we saw go into the woods. He got the money from a Mr. Calhoun, a real estate developer. We will question him tomorrow.”
“Thank you for the information. What will happen to Tobias?”
“With no priors, he will probably get community service. His fingerprints were in the system because of an incident that happened at his house.”
“That is good. Thanks again for letting me know.”
Kit fully recovered from the poisoning, and the interactions between Tom Kindle and Kit went extremely well. They were a great fit. Nancy convinced Kindle into coming to the fundraiser with Kit.
The fundraiser was a huge success. There were a couple of breeders present who donated a dog from their next litter. Also, a couple of trainers volunteered a couple hours a week to help train the dogs.
Kindle and Kit were a big hit. Everyone noticed Kindle’s tenseness during the event, but Kit stayed by his side, giving him the support he needed. They only stayed an hour, but the attendees saw the importance of the emotional support the dog provided. Nancy and the Buttles felt that was what help the donations. The amount of money raised would be enough to hire another full-time trainer and provide vaccinations for the dogs. Duncan Dogs was on its way to provided much needed emotional support dogs for those in need.