Read Online Karen Vail 01 - Velocity by Alan Jacobson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alan Jacobson
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about planning kil s as a team.”
“What does that mean for Cannon with Mayfield temporarily out of the picture?”
Vail eyed a decorative stack of wine barrels by the parking lot entrance while she formulated an answer. “Until Cannon finds out about his buddy being caught, we’re probably safe. But once he hears Mayfield’s incapacitated, he may start kil ing on his own, at first just to prove to himself he can do it. Once he discovers he can, the only thing that’s gonna stop him is us.” Her BlackBerry began vibrating. She glanced at the screen. “This can’t be good.” Vail’s gaze flicked to Dixon. “My boss.”
She answered the cal and pressed the phone to her ear.
“Karen,” Thomas Gifford began. “I realize this comes at a bad time, but I’m afraid I have to interrupt your vacation.”
Vacation . . . oh, yeah. That’s what this was.
“In fact, Hernandez is gonna kil me for this,” Gifford continued, “but I need you back here ASAP—”
“Yeah,” Vail said. “About that. We’ve got a problem here, sir. I shoulda cal ed you this morning, but it’s been a nightmare.”
“Don’t tel me you’re stil working the Crush Kil er. I specifical y told you you’re off the case, and you assured me, Karen. You promised me—”
“It’s not what you think, sir.”
His volume leaped a notch. She could picture his face turning red through the phone. “It’s never what I think, is it?”
“Sir, listen to me—”
“No, you listen to me for once.”
“No sir. Just—just stop. You need to hear me out.” She took a deep breath, then felt Dixon’s hand on her shoulder. “Sir, give me a minute to explain. And if you stil wanna go off on me, fine.” He was silent, so she continued. “We caught the Crush Kil er last night. He was shot in the process and underwent surgery. He made it through but he’s in a coma.”
“If you think that’s an excuse—”
“During the day, I kept trying to reach Robby. But he wasn’t answering. Late last night I went to our room at the bed-and-breakfast. He wasn’t there. No sign of him at al . We’ve been looking for him since.”
“Have you alerted the local field office?”
“No. We’ve been fol owing up leads on the Crush Kil er.”
“Wait a second,” Gifford said. “Just hang on a second. You’ve lost me.”
His tone calmed, which was a good thing. Maybe he would understand. Help her out.
“I don’t get it. What’s the Crush Kil er got to do with Hernandez?”
Vail closed her eyes. “Things weren’t adding up. I kept feeling we were missing something. But I didn’t know what. When we arrested him, I did the interview. He said to me, ‘There’s more to this than you know.’ And then one of the sergeants on the task force, Ray Lugo, burst into the room and shot him. A ricochet caught Lugo and kil ed him. During transport to the ER, he said John Mayfield, the Crush Kil er, had, at some point in the past, kidnapped his wife and son. Lugo apparently cut a deal of some sort with Mayfield to keep his family safe. What kind of deal, what he was doing, we don’t know. And with Robby missing, and Mayfield saying there was more to this than we know . . . we can’t rule out the possibility his disappearance is somehow related to Mayfield.”
“And?” Gifford asked.
“We’re already running down a lead that suggests Mayfield may’ve had an accomplice. If we find this guy, we may find Robby. Or at least some info that might lead us to him.”
Gifford sighed audibly. She could see him at his desk, head bowed, free hand on his forehead, rubbing it.
“The task force is working this?” he final y asked.
“What’s left of it, yes. They’ve got the assistance of the Napa Special Investigations Bureau.”
“I’m going to cal the ASAC in San Francisco. And the RA in Santa Rosa. See if we can coordinate efforts. How long has he been missing?”
“No way of knowing. My last contact with him was 8:30 yesterday
“What does that mean for Cannon with Mayfield temporarily out of the picture?”
Vail eyed a decorative stack of wine barrels by the parking lot entrance while she formulated an answer. “Until Cannon finds out about his buddy being caught, we’re probably safe. But once he hears Mayfield’s incapacitated, he may start kil ing on his own, at first just to prove to himself he can do it. Once he discovers he can, the only thing that’s gonna stop him is us.” Her BlackBerry began vibrating. She glanced at the screen. “This can’t be good.” Vail’s gaze flicked to Dixon. “My boss.”
She answered the cal and pressed the phone to her ear.
“Karen,” Thomas Gifford began. “I realize this comes at a bad time, but I’m afraid I have to interrupt your vacation.”
Vacation . . . oh, yeah. That’s what this was.
“In fact, Hernandez is gonna kil me for this,” Gifford continued, “but I need you back here ASAP—”
“Yeah,” Vail said. “About that. We’ve got a problem here, sir. I shoulda cal ed you this morning, but it’s been a nightmare.”
“Don’t tel me you’re stil working the Crush Kil er. I specifical y told you you’re off the case, and you assured me, Karen. You promised me—”
“It’s not what you think, sir.”
His volume leaped a notch. She could picture his face turning red through the phone. “It’s never what I think, is it?”
“Sir, listen to me—”
“No, you listen to me for once.”
“No sir. Just—just stop. You need to hear me out.” She took a deep breath, then felt Dixon’s hand on her shoulder. “Sir, give me a minute to explain. And if you stil wanna go off on me, fine.” He was silent, so she continued. “We caught the Crush Kil er last night. He was shot in the process and underwent surgery. He made it through but he’s in a coma.”
“If you think that’s an excuse—”
“During the day, I kept trying to reach Robby. But he wasn’t answering. Late last night I went to our room at the bed-and-breakfast. He wasn’t there. No sign of him at al . We’ve been looking for him since.”
“Have you alerted the local field office?”
“No. We’ve been fol owing up leads on the Crush Kil er.”
“Wait a second,” Gifford said. “Just hang on a second. You’ve lost me.”
His tone calmed, which was a good thing. Maybe he would understand. Help her out.
“I don’t get it. What’s the Crush Kil er got to do with Hernandez?”
Vail closed her eyes. “Things weren’t adding up. I kept feeling we were missing something. But I didn’t know what. When we arrested him, I did the interview. He said to me, ‘There’s more to this than you know.’ And then one of the sergeants on the task force, Ray Lugo, burst into the room and shot him. A ricochet caught Lugo and kil ed him. During transport to the ER, he said John Mayfield, the Crush Kil er, had, at some point in the past, kidnapped his wife and son. Lugo apparently cut a deal of some sort with Mayfield to keep his family safe. What kind of deal, what he was doing, we don’t know. And with Robby missing, and Mayfield saying there was more to this than we know . . . we can’t rule out the possibility his disappearance is somehow related to Mayfield.”
“And?” Gifford asked.
“We’re already running down a lead that suggests Mayfield may’ve had an accomplice. If we find this guy, we may find Robby. Or at least some info that might lead us to him.”
Gifford sighed audibly. She could see him at his desk, head bowed, free hand on his forehead, rubbing it.
“The task force is working this?” he final y asked.
“What’s left of it, yes. They’ve got the assistance of the Napa Special Investigations Bureau.”
“I’m going to cal the ASAC in San Francisco. And the RA in Santa Rosa. See if we can coordinate efforts. How long has he been missing?”
“No way of knowing. My last contact with him was 8:30 yesterday
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