Part 31 (1/2)
Jamie arrived at Marchek's and parked behind the patrol car they'd sent to handle surveillance. When she got out of the car and flashed her badge, the officers walked toward her.
”No sign of your guy. We've been waiting for him.”
”He's not working today?”
”No. According to the store, he's off today and tomorrow.”
Jamie nodded, the sick sense of dread rising in her gut. ”Keep an eye out. I'm going inside.”
The officers nodded and returned to their vehicle.
Jamie made her way into Marchek's place and began to look for access to the crawl s.p.a.ce. She checked the closets and searched for any hidden doors, but there didn't appear to be any access from inside. As she came out his front door, she ran into Hailey.
”Find it?” Hailey asked.
”Not yet. There's no crawl s.p.a.ce access from his place.”
”First place we lived in San Francisco, the crawl s.p.a.ce was just off the garbage room,” Hailey suggested.
Jamie nodded. ”Let's try that.”
Down the hall from Marchek's front door, they found the disposal room. It was a tiny s.p.a.ce, filled by two huge flip-top garbage bins. A metal vent hovered above one where people on the upper floors could dump their trash. It would slide down the vent and into one of the cans.
”How about that?” Hailey said.
Jamie followed her gaze. Behind one of the cans was an opening, maybe two feet wide by sixteen inches high. Hailey pulled the trash can aside and Jamie shone her flashlight into the dark hole.
”It's the crawl s.p.a.ce, all right.”
Jamie got down on her knees and climbed through the hole. On the other side, the s.p.a.ce was large enough to stand. ”You coming?”
She heard Hailey groan, but soon Hailey joined her. Each using her flashlight, they scanned the s.p.a.ce for anything Marchek had hidden. They split up. Jamie went left around a thick cement pillar she guessed was footing for the stairwell. She could see the other lights flickering behind her.
”Scream if you see anything,” she called out.
The s.p.a.ce was cool and moist and the thought that Marchek might be there gave her the chills. She shook them off, returned to the hunt. A mound of dirt blocked her view of the far corner. She had to crawl across it to continue.
Just then she heard Hailey call out.
She turned back and scrambled across the dirt, half crawling, half running.
Hailey stood over an old metal meat locker. Padlocked closed, the locker had been mostly buried. Only four inches stood above the surface.
Jamie motioned Hailey back and, using the backside of her Maglite, she smashed the lock. It didn't break. She drew her gun and aimed it at the lock. ”Stand back.”
Hailey moved behind her. Without any other eye protection, Jamie slipped on her sungla.s.ses and fired at the lock. The steel dropped open.
She found a pen and used it to remove the lock and lift the top of the locker.
The inside was neatly organized. A pile of straps lay carefully coiled beside a box of powder-free latex gloves. There were towels, a pair of heavy work pants, tennis shoes, and a dark sweats.h.i.+rt. Jamie lifted what looked like a pillowcase and found a hood. Jagged eyeholes stared back at her and she imagined Emily Osbourne's fear.
”Oh s.h.i.+t,” Hailey whispered.
Jamie turned.
There, taped to the open lid, was a series of photographs and personal items. Jamie recognized a candid shot of Shawna Delman, coming out of the police station. Beside it was one of another victim in her police car. But the one she knew Hailey was fixed on was a photograph of Mackenzie sitting on the steps of her apartment, a drink in her hand. Beside it was a card that read ”Cafe Baby Cakes Frequency Card.” On the card were four small daisy-shaped punches. Next to each photo was a similar memento. A Blockbuster card with one of the victim's names, an insurance card issued to Shawna Delman.
Jamie looked up at Hailey. She placed her hand on the other woman's arm and said nothing. There was nothing to say that would erase the fear that Marchek had instilled in them.
Taking him off the streets would help. That, at least, would be a step.
Baby steps. At least she was moving forward. That had to count for something.
Chapter 34.
With back-up en route, Hailey agreed to stay with the evidence while Jamie initiated the search for Marchek. Roger would come to start processing the locker, but they all knew it was plenty to make an arrest. Jamie wanted to be there when they brought him in. Takedowns were rare and when they came, she savored them. Jamie also didn't like the fact that her surveillance team hadn't seen Marchek in the eight hours since they'd called in additional surveillance.
Besides, there wasn't much to go home to. Tony had taken Zephenaya to Sacramento to meet his temporary foster parents. They'd even taken Barney along for the ride. For some reason, Jamie didn't look forward to going home to the empty house. She didn't let herself consider that it would soon be permanently empty again. She'd have Barney, she thought.
On a whim, Jamie decided to work one last piece of the puzzle before turning in. She knew she could bring Zephenaya in to ID Scanlan as the man who had knifed Barney, but she might be able to get confirmation without having to drag Z through more c.r.a.p.
She called the main desk and was relieved to get her favorite clerk, s.h.i.+rley.
”It's Vail.”
”Hey, you. How's it going?”
”I've got a question about Scott Scanlan.”
s.h.i.+rley grumbled. ”I got ten minutes before dinner. Don't ruin my appet.i.te.”
”Don't worry. I'm looking to nail him.”
”Then I'm your woman.”
Jamie laughed. ”What can you tell me about his partner?”
”h.e.l.l. I thought you were going to make it tough. Hang on.”
Jamie heard the phone drop to the desk, then the background noises of s.h.i.+rley working. s.h.i.+rley had never mastered the hold b.u.t.ton. She came back a minute and a half later. ”Name's Dave Priestley. He came out of the academy in June.”
Someone spoke behind her and s.h.i.+rley paused. When she returned, she said, ”Teresa says he's the youngest of three brothers. They're all in blue.”
Three cops. That was a good thing. ”You have a number for him?”
”Sure do.” s.h.i.+rley rattled it off and Jamie wrote. She thanked s.h.i.+rley for the help and told her to grab dinner a few minutes early.