Loe raamatut: «Reunion Mission»

ONE

Claire Kendall unlocked the side door to Lakeshore High School and slipped inside. The hallway was dark and eerily quiet on a Sunday afternoon. The hall lights were controlled by a main switch in the storage room, but they took a while to power on and Claire didn’t want to bother with them. The overhead light in her classroom would be enough, especially if she opened the window blinds and let the sunlight stream in. She took out her cell phone and hit the flashlight function, noticing as she headed down the hall how it seemed to stretch farther than it did when the lights were on and kids were present.

She reached her classroom and saw it, too, was dark. Strange. She was supposed to be meeting her student Luke Thompson here. The text message he’d sent her earlier had indicated he was already at the school waiting. Had he given up waiting for her and left?

She reached up and flipped the light switch, but nothing happened. The room remained dark.

As she moved to open the blinds to at least give them some light, her foot caught on something on the floor and she stumbled, catching herself on one of the student desks. She turned the phone light to the floor to see what she’d tripped on and spotted something between the rows of desks. As she moved the light closer, she saw the outline of a hand...then an arm...then a body sprawled on the floor.

“Luke!” Claire knelt beside him, but he didn’t move at the sound of his name. Her knees touched something wet and sticky. Dread filled her at the realization of what had happened.

She looked at her hand and saw blood. Luke’s blood.

She stifled a scream. Panicking wouldn’t do any good now. She needed to remain calm. If there was a chance Luke was still alive, she had to get help. She hit the keypad on her phone and tried to dial 9-1-1, but her hands were shaking so badly that she had to reenter the number.

Hang on, Luke!

She had just pressed Send on her call for help when someone grabbed her. Claire screamed and the phone slipped through her fingers and hit the floor with a crack. Her assailant clamped a heavy hand over her mouth and pinned her arms.

His breath was hot against her skin as he hissed into her ear. “You did this. You killed Luke with your meddling.”

Terror gripped her at his words. Luke was dead. This man had killed him, and now he would kill her, too.

She struggled to break his hold, flailing her legs against a desk. It toppled over, taking the one beside it down, too. The wood and metal clanked against the tiled floor. She tried again to scream for help, but his heavy hand over her mouth prevented the sound from escaping. And who would hear her anyway in an empty school?

Oh, God, help me!

She was going to die right here in her classroom alongside one of her students.

* * *

Trixie. In his school.

DEA agent Matt Ross jiggled the handle on the southwest door by the cafeteria, and it opened just as Luke had assured him it would. He examined the lock and saw it didn’t latch properly, preventing the locking mechanism from catching. He wondered how long it had been that way and how many Lakeshore High students had taken advantage of such a lack of security for skipping classes.

Luke had already assured him others knew about it. In fact, Lakeshore High had become a popular drug drop because of the failing security measures in the years since Matt had graduated.

He couldn’t believe Trixie was in his old school. When he’d seen the report about a new and popular drug in his hometown of Lakeshore, Tennessee, he’d asked for the assignment to track down the suppliers. And Luke had been a wealth of information about the operation. The kid knew more than he should and was eager to share it with the DEA. The one thing he hadn’t yet given Matt were names. Names of his supplier and the major players in the drug market in town. Matt hoped today he would finally get that information from Luke. The kid was scared. That was to be expected. Trixie might be a new drug, but it was already gaining popularity in the major cities and money was rolling in. Luke could find his very life in danger if anyone discovered he’d been talking with the DEA. Luke had chosen the school as a safe place to meet, sharing with Matt the information about the easy access through the southwest entrance.

Suddenly, a scream lit up the air.

Matt reached for his weapon, his entire body suddenly on alert. The school was supposed to be empty except for him and Luke, but that sounded like a woman’s scream. He moved through the dark hallways, following the sounds of a struggle.

Everything went quiet...too quiet too suddenly. He peered cautiously into the classroom where he was sure the sounds had come from. A faint light on the floor revealed overturned desks. A struggle had definitely occurred here.

His gut clenched. Was he too late?

He moved slowly toward the light on the floor, now realizing it came from a dropped cell phone. Luke’s? He spotted a shadow on the edge of the light and took a step closer, catching the outline of a body sprawled between the desks.

Luke.

He reached down and felt the boy’s skin. It was cold. Luke was dead.

He raised his gun and scanned the room, his eyes already adjusting to the darkness. He’d trudged through darker environments during his time with the army rangers, but what he wouldn’t give right now for a pair of night vision goggles. Someone was there in the darkness, though. He sensed their presence. Was the killer still on campus? Still in this room?

He pulled out his phone, clicked on the flashlight function and scanned the room again. He heard faint, muffled sounds coming from one corner of the room and he moved in that direction, his gun drawn and ready and his intuition on fire. The killer was still here.

“Let’s just end this right now.” Matt spoke through the darkness to the assailant, hoping for some sort of movement or change in breathing to pinpoint exactly where he was hiding.

He heard it again, that muffled grunt. It seemed to come from right in front of him. Suddenly, a figure in the darkness moved and someone was barreling toward him. He jumped back, then realized it was a woman being shoved at him. He reached out his arms and caught her, but the force of the assailant’s push knocked him backward and he hit the floor. The lady fell on top of him, landing on his chest. He noted she was petite and light, and he caught the scent of berry shampoo as her long hair fluttered near his face. His cell phone clattered to the floor and the assailant ran out the door. Matt still had his gun in his hand, but he didn’t dare fire into darkness.

The light from his phone illuminated Luke’s face only inches away from them. The lady in his arms screamed and scrambled away, frightened.

“Are you okay?” Matt asked her. He reached for her arm and felt her quivering with fear. “Are you hurt?”

“I—I’m fine, but Luke...”

“I know.” He leaped to his feet. “Stay here.” He rushed out of the classroom and down the hall, his gun trained and ready, but when he saw the southwest door he’d closed standing open, he knew whoever had been here had fled.

He returned to the classroom and pulled open the window blinds, filling the room with sunlight.

He turned, surprised by the woman on the floor beside the body. He instantly recognized her petite frame, flowing dark hair and wide blue eyes as they stared up at him.

Claire Kendall. His former fiancée.

The love of his life.

The woman whose life he’d almost ended ten years ago.

* * *

In all the years she’d imagined bumping into Matt Ross again, Claire had never once imagined it would be over the body of one of her students. She stared up at him. He looked so different and yet so much like the Matt she remembered. He’d always been tall, but he seemed to have added a few inches since high school. The long arms and legs that had once been gangly were now solid and muscular and his chest and shoulders broad, a man instead of the boy she’d known ten years ago. His blond hair was cut shorter than she’d ever seen it, but she supposed it was longer now than it had been during his time in the army. His face was fuller, but his hazel eyes were still intense and his features sharp and handsome.

He knelt beside her. “Claire, what are you doing here? How do you know Luke Thompson?”

She was shocked that he knew Luke. “I’m a teacher at this school. This is my classroom. Luke is one of my students. How do you know him?” She recognized that troubled look on Matt’s face and grew worried. “How do you know Luke?” she asked him again.

He helped her to her feet. “There’s blood on your clothes.”

She glanced down and saw dark stains smeared on her jeans and blouse. Her hands were also covered in blood. Luke’s blood. “It’s not mine.”

“You’re shaking.” He took off his jacket and slipped it across her shoulders. “Let’s get you out of here.”

She went willingly with him, thankful for the support and for the jacket. She was trembling, although not from the cold. Shivers of fear and worry lit through her. She could still feel the clammy touch of that man’s hand against her face and smell the rancid smell of his hot breath as he whispered to her. You did this. You killed Luke with your meddling.

What had he meant by that? All she’d done was try to help Luke. He’d wanted out of the drug business and she’d encouraged him. Had he heeded her advice and told his dealers that he didn’t want to peddle their drugs anymore? Had they killed him because of it?

She stumbled as Matt led her toward the office. Her hip was stiff and sore after her ordeal, and she wished it didn’t bother her so much. Other people might not even notice the residual slight limp, but Matt would notice. Matt was not just any other person. Thankfully, he said nothing as he led her to the office and Claire fell onto the couch, not certain her legs would carry her any farther. Matt walked out, then returned a moment later with a bottle of water. Her hands shook as she tried to lift it to her lips. Finally, he poured some into a paper cup and gave it to her.

The cool liquid felt soothing over her raw throat. She’d hardly been able to scream but still her throat was raw as if she had. She’d struggled against the force of that man’s hand against her face, struggled for air to breathe. She didn’t think he’d been trying to smother her, but his hand had essentially cut off her air supply.

Matt pulled up a chair and straddled it, his hazel eyes probing hers. “I need you to tell me exactly what happened.”

“Shouldn’t we call the police? I dialed 9-1-1 before that man grabbed me, but I don’t know if the call went through.”

“I am the police.”

He pulled out his badge and she saw he now worked for the Drug Enforcement Administration. She knew he’d left the army, but she hadn’t heard about this new position. Now his presence at the school made more sense. Luke was involved in drugs. Had Matt been here to arrest him?

“Tell me everything you remember. Why were you here at the school on a Sunday?”

Her hands shook as she outlined her morning, trying to remember every detail. “I received a text message from Luke an hour ago asking me to meet him at the school, so I came. The lights were out and even my classroom overhead light didn’t work, but I had the flashlight on my phone. I found him lying on the floor. Before I could call for help, someone grabbed me.”

“Did you see the man who grabbed you?”

“No. It was dark and he was behind me.”

“Did you recognize his voice? Was there anything about him that was familiar?”

She shook her head. “It all happened so fast. He kept his hand over my mouth so I couldn’t scream. I struggled, but I couldn’t break free. When he heard you coming, he dragged me to the corner. The next thing I knew, he had shoved me toward you and we were on the floor.”

“Did you let Luke into the building?”

“No. But everyone knows the door by the cafeteria doesn’t latch well. He probably got in that way.”

“Why did Luke ask to meet you today?”

His message hadn’t said, but she’d hoped for some good news from him. “His message only said he had something important he needed to tell me.”

“Were you aware he was selling drugs?”

“Yes. Luke came to me a few weeks ago and told me he’d been selling drugs, but that he wanted out. He gave his life to the Lord and didn’t want to do it anymore, but he was afraid to tell his supplier. He said he was trying to find a safe way out of the business. When I saw his text, I thought he was going to tell me he’d finally done it.”

“Did he ever tell you the name of his supplier or let something slip that could lead us to him?”

“No, he thought if I knew it would put me in danger.” It seemed that had happened anyway. “I need to call his parents and tell them what happened.”

“We’ll have someone take care of that.”

She looked at him. “He was a good kid. He was trying to get his life together.”

She heard the sound of sirens growing closer. Matt stood and peeked out the window. “I guess the police did receive your call.”

A moment later, the doors opened and the school was flooded with uniformed police officers.

She spotted her friend Preston, a detective with the Lakeshore Police Department, directing several of the officers to secure the school. When he spotted her through the window separating the office from the foyer, his face paled and he rushed to her.

“Claire! We received an emergency call from this location. What are you doing here?” He grabbed her and pulled her into a hug.

“Preston, it’s Luke Thompson. He’s dead.”

“The kid you’ve been ministering to? What happened?”

“He sent me a text message asking me to meet him, but when I arrived, he was on the floor and someone else was in the room. He grabbed me. If Matt hadn’t arrived when he did...” She turned to look at him, suddenly realizing she owed her life to Matt. She also realized she hadn’t introduced the two men. “Matt, this is my friend Detective Preston Ware. He’s with the Lakeshore PD. Preston, this is Matt Ross. He’s with the DEA.”

Preston’s look of surprise was obvious. “Matt Ross? As in...”

She knew exactly what he was referring to. Preston was aware of her history with Matt.

Matt responded with a chagrined look. “Yes, that Matt Ross.” He held out his hand to shake Preston’s. “Nice to meet you.”

Preston reluctantly took the hand he offered.

“Whoever grabbed Claire got away before I could stop him. The body is in Claire’s classroom. It’s the fourth—”

“I know where her classroom is.” Preston turned back to Claire. “Stay here. I’ll need to ask you some questions after I see the crime scene.”

She nodded, expecting it would be the same questions Matt had asked her. And she would have the same answers she’d given him. She didn’t know who’d killed Luke and she hadn’t seen her attacker’s face.

“I’ve already secured the scene,” Matt assured him.

Preston shot him a cautious smile. “You don’t mind if we double-check that, do you?”

She sensed a simmering dislike between the two men. It was more than their cautious smiles and easygoing manners. Beneath the surface, there seemed to be a palpable desire in both of them to strike out against the other. Matt’s folded arms as he informed Preston about the details of the case. Preston’s defensive stance.

She was glad when they both walked out. She wasn’t surprised that Preston was leery of Matt. After all, she’d cried on his shoulder numerous times through the years about her ordeal.

But what possible reason could Matt have against Preston?

* * *

He didn’t like it. Nope, he didn’t like it one bit.

Who was this guy who’d claimed Claire as his own with one call of her name?

A feeling of satisfaction had washed over him as he reached out to shake Preston’s hand. Claire had called him a friend and everyone knew what that meant—platonic, non-boyfriend friend. And Preston’s grip as they shook was firmer than it needed to be, an obvious acknowledgment of territory. His stance was clear—back off! Apparently, he hadn’t caught on to Claire’s reference to him as her “friend.” He was still clinging hopelessly to the delusion that they could one day be more.

It wouldn’t happen. If Matt knew one thing about Claire, it was that she believed love should be passionate and overwhelming...the way they’d once been. If there was no passion, in her mind, there was no romance.

“Claire said you were DEA. May I ask what you were doing here? Is the DEA performing an investigation we need to know about?”

“Luke was a DEA informant. We were hoping he could give us information that would break up a drug ring working out of the school.”

“What kind of drug ring?”

“It’s a new drug called Trixie. It’s a stimulant that—”

“I know it. High-priced. Very dangerous.”

“And popular with the kids. Our intel says there’s a major business working out of Lakeshore High. We were just starting our investigation.” They stepped into the classroom and Matt saw Luke on the floor, his throat slit and blood everywhere. His gut clenched. Luke had been his key to unlocking the drug ring operating in his hometown. Now, instead of an informant, he was a murder victim.

And Claire had somehow stumbled into the middle of his investigation and onto the radar of a killer.

“You shouldn’t be in here.”

“Relax,” Matt said. “This isn’t my first crime scene. I know how to be careful.”

“I don’t care how many crime scenes you say you’ve been to, this one is mine and I say you need to leave. This isn’t a DEA investigation anymore. This is a murder, and homicide is my jurisdiction.”

Matt turned to look at him, the territorial protective vibe going again. This was his investigation. Claire was his friend. It was all about him, wasn’t it? “Luke was a DEA informant, and I’m still investigating a drug ring operating out of this school. I would like to be kept involved.” He could tell the detective wasn’t happy about his role and he wasn’t surprised, but he was also sure it had less to do with him being DEA than with him being Claire’s ex.

“Look, I’m not just some guy off the street. I’m an old friend of Claire’s and I don’t want to see anything happen to her.”

“Oh, I know exactly who you are,” Preston countered, turning to stare right into Matt’s face. “You’re the scumbag who wrapped his car around a telephone pole on prom night, then left Claire battered and brokenhearted while you took off to join the army.”

Matt shouldered his tirade. It wasn’t exactly correct. He hadn’t left Claire in the car. It had been weeks later that he’d left town when his prayers to God for her recovery went unanswered. He hadn’t been on speaking terms with the Almighty since. But Preston got the gist of the story correct, and who was Matt to squabble over details. He’d caused the wreck, then had left her when his guilt got too heavy to bear.

But that didn’t change today’s situation. Claire was in danger, and he wasn’t stepping aside this time.

“That was a long time ago.”

“That’s right, it was. Your connection to Claire ended the moment you walked out on her.” Preston turned and knelt to examine the body.

Enough talk. Matt got serious. “You are aware that Luke was dead long before he supposedly sent Claire that text message?”

“We haven’t even determined time of death yet.”

“I’ve seen my share of bodies. That boy has been dead at least four hours. Claire said she received the text an hour ago. Someone wanted her to come here, possibly just to find Luke, but maybe for more than that. Her life is in danger, and if you think I’m going to leave until I know she’s safe, then you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”

Matt walked out, leaving him to process the crime scene. He focused on trying to calm down, but it was a daunting task given the surge of adrenaline that had pulsed through his veins from the moment he’d heard that first scream, and reinforced from the realization that the woman on top of him had once been the love of his life. It had taken all his strength to pull away from her and lead her to a chair in the school’s office, but his instincts had kicked in, reminding him that his priority had to be preserving the scene and that meant getting Claire out of the area as soon as possible.

Preston’s men would go over every detail of that room and the body, but Matt didn’t need an autopsy report to tell him what he already knew.

The killer had lured Claire into that classroom.

* * *

It didn’t take long from the time the police arrived for a crowd to form outside the school. Onlookers appeared along with the television news teams.

Claire peeked out the window and saw the three local news channels all setting up in front of the school. She noticed many of the students and the worry on their faces. When she turned on the television in the office, the news channels were reporting a body was found at the high school, but they had not identified it as a student.

What would happen to those kids when they learned one of their own was dead? When they heard it was Luke Thompson who’d been killed? They would be devastated.

You killed Luke with your meddling.

Those words rushed back to her and she shuddered. She’d only wanted to help Luke, not get him killed.

Chills ran up her spine. She might have been lying beside Luke if Matt hadn’t arrived. But what was he doing at the school? She wasn’t surprised to see him in town, since she knew his sister, Alisa, was getting married in two weeks and most of the family was returning for the wedding. But what had he been doing at the school on a Sunday afternoon?

She realized those were the same questions he’d asked of her. Only, she’d told him why she was there. He had yet to explain his presence. She’d been so thankful he was there that she hadn’t even thought to question him about why he’d come.

The roar of the crowd outside grew louder as the front door to the school pushed open and she saw Principal Spencer enter. He let the door close behind him as he headed into the office.

“Claire. What are you doing here? The news is saying a body was found on campus?”

“It was one of our students, Luke Thompson.”

“Luke? What do they think happened?”

“Someone killed him. I found his body and someone was there. He tried to grab me.”

Principal Spencer’s face was instantly full of concern for her. “Are you hurt? How did you get away?”

“Someone else rescued me. I don’t know what would have happened if he hadn’t arrived when he did.”

“Has anyone notified Luke’s parents? They’ll be devastated.”

“I don’t know.”

“I’ll go find out. Will you start calling the faculty and let them know what’s happened? We’ll need to coordinate a response, arrange for counselors and such.”

“Certainly.”

She hadn’t thought about calling anyone, not even him. She supposed that was why he was the principal. He had a take-charge attitude and remained calm during a time of crisis.

She found a phone list on the secretary’s desk and began making calls.

* * *

Matt returned to the classroom and stared at the body on the floor. He couldn’t help thinking what a shame it was that someone so young was gone. Yes, he’d seen death before—too many times before—but it still struck him as tragic. This kid was only seventeen at best, much too young to have been caught up in drugs and drug rings. But it was an all too common tale, he’d discovered since coming to work for the DEA. Kids and drugs. Devastated lives. Shattered families. He was tired of the senselessness of it all.

Preston stood over the body, examining it. “It looks like his throat was slit. We’ll have to wait for an autopsy report, but I suspect that will be the cause of death.”

Matt had to concur. He, too, suspected Luke’s throat was cut, but an autopsy would tell them how quickly he died. Was this the work of an experienced killer or an amateur? The answer to that question would provide them leads in finding the person responsible.

Preston stood. “We haven’t located the murder weapon yet, but I’ll have my guys conduct a search.”

“We should start along the path he took when he ran out. It’s possible he tossed the weapon when he ran.”

Preston nodded. “That could include the parking lot and the woods behind the school.” He stared out the window at the crowd already gathered. “And the area has already been contaminated. I’ll have someone clear out this crowd.” Preston got on the radio and issued his instructions for the search.

A uniformed officer poked his head through the door and addressed Preston. “The school principal is here. He’d like to speak with someone.”

Preston nodded. “Tell him I’ll be right out.”

Matt followed Preston into the hallway. A tall, sandy-haired man was waiting for them. He extended his hand. “I’m Bill Spencer, principal of Lakeshore High School. Can you tell me what happened?”

Preston took the lead. “Only that the body of one of your students was discovered in this classroom. We suspect foul play.”

“Claire said it was Luke Thompson. Was anyone else involved? Do you have any idea why this happened?”

“We’re still investigating, Principal Spencer.”

“Of course. Well, you can see half the town is already aware a body has been found. I’d like to be able to tell my students and teachers something about what happened here.”

“We just don’t have enough evidence yet to draw conclusions, much less make them public.”

“Will we be able to open the school for classes tomorrow?”

“We’re still processing the scene. It’s too early to tell.”

“I understand, but it’s imperative we get these kids back into school as soon as possible. It’s an important element to helping them cope. We’ll be calling in mental health counselors to assist the students in their grieving process.”

Matt was surprised when Preston seemed to offer the principal something. Protecting the crime scene should have been the most important thing. “For right now, this entire hall and portions of the parking lot and back forty are off-limits. We may open those to students if we don’t find anything, but this classroom will be inaccessible until we finish our investigation. It’s a crime scene. But I think you’ll be able to reopen for classes by Tuesday.”