Chemical Attraction (12 page)

“I don’t like it. I think they’re tweakers. The guys will walk back in without any warning.” Madeline remembered her basic training. She had learned that this situation needed clear identification. Were these guys tweakers or just cocky drunks? Meth abusers were dangerous when tweaking. Nothing—not even more meth—takes the feeling of emptiness away from the tweaking stage of coming down from a high. They became extremely frustrated and drank alcohol to ease the bad feelings. “Eva, we need to warn our guys and keep an eye on those two.”

“What do you suggest?”

“If I remember right, the signs are rapid eye twitching and jerky muscles movements but a steady voice,” she stated.

“And they don’t need a reason to react violently,” Eva added.

“Okay, I’ll check it out. You warn Matt and Joe.” Madeline walked to the bar and stood to the left of Yellow Hat, who held the knife under the bar’s counter. “Can I pay our bill up here?” she asked the bartender. Handing him her credit card, she turned to Yellow Hat. “Can you believe they left me to pay for dinner?”

Smiling, his eyes shifted from side to side so fast it made her queasy. “I’ll show you a good time,” he replied, with no slurring from the alcohol.

While Eva slipped outside, Madeline signed the bill. Stepping closer, she saw Red Shirt watching the door. “I bet you and your friend could show me a good time.” That got Red Hat’s attention. He smiled, showing his rotten teeth. “Let’s go,” she said. She followed Yellow Hat with Red Shirt behind her. The extent of her plan was to get them away from the crowd.

While Matt and Joe watched David and his friends walk away, Eva rushed out the door. “Uh, honey, we have a situation in here.”

“What now?” Matt asked.

“There are two guys sitting at the bar and one has a knife. They got very agitated when you walked by. Madeline’s talking to them to see if they’re drunk or tweaking.”

“She’s what?” Joe asked.

“We had to do something. The guy with the knife is on the verge as it is.”

“Let me go in first, since they know you as a cop. Matt, you know I can’t draw my gun, right?”

“Yeah, I’m right behind you. Honey, stay put.”

Just inside the door, Joe came face to face with Yellow Hat, who pulled the blade from his pocket. Madeline grabbed his hand and kicked the back of his knees, dropping him to the floor. With his left hand, Joe reached for the guy’s wrist that held the knife and then punched him in the jaw with his right fist, knocking Yellow Hat out cold.

Red Shirt jerked Madeline against him. He put his arm around her neck and dragged her back into the restaurant toward the bar. Matt and Joe stayed by the door so they wouldn’t provoke him further. Madeline tried to loosen the grip around her neck. She took a deep breath and stomped on his foot. When he lessened the pressure, she flung him to the floor off her right shoulder. He yanked her down with him. With her full body weight, she elbowed him in the gut.

Joe hurried to help her stand while Matt grabbed the groaning Red Shirt. The entire restaurant applauded. Having seen the musical portion, the crowd enjoyed the dramatic part of their dinner theater.

“I guess I remembered more of my training than I thought,” she whispered.

Before Matt could demand to know what Madeline meant, Eva stepped back from Yellow Hat on the floor. “This one’s awake,” she said.

“Hey Joe, do you mind?” Matt asked, standing Red Shirt up.

“Oh, yeah,” Joe said, turning to hold Red Shirt steady.

After cuffing and patting them down, Matt shoved them into the backseat of his squad car. He called the station. After snapping his phone shut, he pointed at them. “You three, stay put,” he said as his on-duty officer walked the few blocks to the restaurant. “Ethan, put those two in separate cells. They’re coming off a binge.”

“Sure, Chief,” Officer Ethan Gerig replied before driving the car back to the station.

After walking to the station in silence, Matt sat at the nearest desk and pulled out the appropriate form. “Madeline, I’d like to hear your version.” Matt, Joe, and Eva listened. “Do you realize how dangerous that was?” Matt asked, sitting back in his chair.

“It would have been much more so if you and Joe had walked into the bar and got a knife in your back.”

“Can we go?” Joe asked.

“Yeah, I’ll see you both later,” Matt replied.

Eva sat on the desk. “Why did you and Joe follow David out the door?”

“Remind me to thank Madeline for dinner,” he replied. His wife didn’t need to know the reason for the fight.

Joe folded his arms outside the station. “What you did back there was dangerous.”

“Yes, I know. I already got the lecture from Matt,” Madeline said, walking away from the front door.

“I’m talking about the danger to our cover. Someone could recognize those tactical moves and get suspicious. Why do you think I didn’t use my gun? We’re here for a reason, Madeline. Remember that. My girlfriend shouldn’t be taking down tweakers, much less recognizing them.”

“I just reacted. I’m sorry.”

“You’re making me look bad.” He smiled. “Let’s walk back to your apartment. I left my notes there.”

“I need a shower. That guy stunk.” She winced, smelling her hair.

“Can I watch?”

Madeline nodded as they walked back to her loft. She couldn’t believe she flipped that guy.
Happy she remembered some of her training, she thought the hole she was burying herself in didn’t seem so deep. Maybe she could get out.

Before she was fully wet, she felt the shower curtain move. His body heat radiated. Thankful for the cool water, she smiled as she tilted her head back to wet her long hair.

“Are you dirty?” she asked with her eyes closed.

“You have no idea,” he replied in a low husky voice.

She caught her breath when his lips touched her neck. Even in the cool water, steam rose from their contact. His tongue lapped up the water that dripped off her chin. When his mouth found hers, she sizzled. She slowly moved her hands to his chest, partially wet from the spray of the shower. The droplets mingled with her fingers in his dark chest hair.

“Will you let me wash your hair?” he whispered in her ear. All she could do was stand there. He had to be the sexiest guy she had ever known. Tall, dark, dangerous. He gave her a crooked grin as he turned her around to lather up her hair. Yes, she thought, extremely dangerous.

They had planned to talk about the case. But his watching turned into washing, which became a late night of touching. In bed, his fingers played with her damp hair as she rested her head on his chest.

“We aren’t getting any work done,” he said.

She sighed and told him about the fire in the restricted lab. “I’m going to find out what happened and what’s in there.”

“How?”

“I don’t know yet. They have the whole floor locked down. I’ll try the gossip channels first,” she replied, following the contours of his abdominal muscles with her fingers.

While Madeline slept, Joe spent the rest of the night debating the risks of his unprofessional behavior.

WEDNESDAY

PETE ADAMCZYK GLANCED AT HIS alarm clock. He had another hour before he started chores. “Damn squealing pigs,” he mumbled to his sleeping wife.

He regretted his recent decision to take over his dad’s farm. Jennifer hated the smell and took it out on him. But she didn’t mind the money from selling a few of the blue ribbons. The newest litter would continue to keep her off his case. After slipping on his overalls, he stalked barefoot toward the barn.

He unlatched the side door and flipped on the light. The bright florescence added to his growing headache. Squinting his eyes, he didn’t see the pig shit until it squished between his toes. Cursing, he heard squeals coming from his prize sow’s pen. Smelling blood, he saw chunks of his week old litter scattered around the back stall.

He jumped over the wooden gate to check on her health. Only then did he realize his mistake. She turned to face him with blood and pieces of flesh around her snout. With a ferocious grunt, she charged him. He turned too late. She rammed him with her full five hundred pounds, smashing him against the metal siding of the newest portion of the barn.

Feeling his left knee buckle with a sharp pain, he collapsed across her back. Her teeth reached for his right leg, ripping into the flesh. Screaming in agony, he beat her desperately with his fists. As she pulled on his leg, he fell backward, cracking his skull on the cement floor. He welcomed unconsciousness as he felt her wrench his arm out of its socket.

Because of some punishment she wasn’t privy to, Eva drove herself to work this morning. Matt and David were now tethered. She noticed a more relaxed son. David was excited to be working at the station. He actually wore a pair of jeans without holes. Matt was right. Maybe things would return to normal, even if he refused to tell her what had happened. Opening the waiting room door, she heard a voice.

“Hi, Mrs. Matt.”

She saw Simon sitting in the corner chair of the waiting room with an ice pack on his hand and bruises on his face. She sat down next to him. “My God, Simon, what happened?”

“I, uh, was not paying attention to my job. My hand got slammed in a door,” he replied, looking away.

“Did someone do this to you?”

“No,” he said quickly, “I was not paying attention to my job. My hand got slammed in a door.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Mrs. Matt, don’t ask me no more about it.”

“Okay, Simon, let me make sure a room is available. I’ll look at your hand and see if it’s broken.” She entered the office area and tossed her purse on her cubicle desk. She grabbed her lab coat. “Amanda, how long has he been waiting?”

“He came in at seven.”

“If there’s a room open, put him in one. He’s my priority this morning. He says it’s work-related. Don’t forget to do a drug screen and breath-alcohol. It’s the company requirement. You know the protocol.” Eva snapped a pencil in half and sat next to Betty. “I’d tell Matt if I thought it would do any good, but he’s covering for whoever did that to him.” After tossing the pieces into the trash, she pulled his chart from the file cabinet.

Dr. Ellis walked through the door. “What’s on the schedule today, Betty?” Ellis asked.

“We have an injury from BennTech in a room now and a recheck at nine with a bunch of physicals throughout the day.”

“I’ll take the injury, so Eva can finish the flu clinic schedule,” he said, snatching the chart from her hand. He walked into his office and shut the door.

He had better take good care of Simon, she thought. She had a soft spot for him.

As Dr. Pierce checked in at the front desk, June looked past her to see Joe driving away. She smiled. “Is he coming back for another tour soon?”

“No, I don’t want to get fired. I’m working in my lab all day. Do you want to have lunch?”

“I’m not exactly sure when I’ll get my lunch break,” June said.

“That’s okay. When you’re ready, stop in and get me. I don’t have any meetings.”

“Then I want to hear all about tall, dark, and yummy,” she replied.

Sylvia sprayed furniture polish on her rag. Starting in the living room, she absently dusted the end tables and bookshelves. Her conversation with Joseph at breakfast yesterday had changed her mind about her life. Reflecting, she regretted not having a family. She and Herbert had tried for years before coming to the conclusion that God’s plan differed from theirs. Her friends bragged about their grandchildren often. Upsetting sometimes, but she enjoyed seeing the little ones at church functions. What could an old woman do with her life?

As the mantle clock chimed 8:30, Joseph opened the kitchen door, returning from a second night at Madeline’s apartment. “I’m going to take a nap for an hour, then I have errands to run.”

She smiled. “Were you up late?”

“Yes, and no details for you. Hey, I didn’t know Madeline was in a band.”

“It’s more like she sings with one once in a while.”

“She’s full of surprises.”

Sylvia liked it when her plans worked out. They were smitten. She remembered the beginning of new love with Herbert. The excitement of holding his hand and stealing kisses made her laugh. She placed her rag in the hamper and washed the few dishes left in the sink. With only one guest, chores went faster. Later, she’d ask Joseph if he wanted his clothes laundered. Sylvia liked him. He didn’t treat her like the old woman she saw in the mirror. His friendship helped her remember her own sense of humor and that she was as young as she wanted to be.

After rinsing potatoes and slicing carrots, she put them in the bottom of her crock-pot with a roast. She’d at least offer to feed him dinner, since he wasn’t around for breakfast. Unsure of his dinner plans, she thought the smells would entice him. She taped a note on the bathroom door letting him know about dinner, to invite Madeline, and to leave his dirty clothes outside his room. She grabbed her purse and stepped out into another humid day. She strolled the three blocks to her friend’s house and pounded on the door.

Since George died last year, Vera had become forgetful. Her sons, Thomas and James, checked on her every other day and made sure she had food. Knocking again, she peered through the window. Her cats slept. Not one stirred as she continued to bang on the door. Worried, she went around to the kitchen’s back door and tugged on it. The smell of cat urine blew her backward. Holding her nose, she stepped inside.

“Vera? It’s Sylvia.”

Looking closer at the cats lying on the kitchen floor, she realized that they were dead. She touched the crucifix around her neck and braced herself against the counter. Making herself move down the hallway, she glanced into the living room. The cats there were dead, too. She staggered backward and bumped into the closet door. Hurrying outside, she dug out her cell phone from the bottom of her purse. Madeline had made her get one for emergencies. She thought this qualified. With shaking hands, she dialed 9-1-1.

“David, have a seat in my office,” his dad said as they stood inside the chaotic station.

“Sure, Chief.”

David had always wanted to help here. It looked like they could use it. The ringing phones filled the room with added noise. Two guys in the cells through the doors in the back had pillows over their heads. In his dad’s office, he angled his chair to watch the outer room.

“Bobby, David is here to help out. He can answer phones, run errands, or whatever. He’s yours to boss around, work him hard.”

“Okay, but can he handle it? We’re swamped.”

“He can hold his own and you’re too busy to baby-sit. Put him to work even if it’s washing your car.”

“Great, I’ll find something for him to do,” Bobby replied.

“Thanks, and when you have a minute come into my office.”

“Sure thing.” Bobby Callahan motioned for David to come to his desk. “Have a seat.” Bobby pulled out a pen and a large notepad. “Okay, the calls we’re getting are complaints. You need to get the name, phone number, address, the problem, and then document the time. We’ll address their issues by priority. Any questions?”

“Emergencies I transfer to the 9-1-1 line, right?”

“Yes,” Bobby replied, patting him on the shoulder.

Bobby observed Chief Connor from the doorway. He had his head down reading his messages. Looking up, the chief motioned him to one of the chairs across from his desk. The guys respected Chief Connor. He rarely came down hard on his officers, and they worked for his approval. The chief appreciated their dedication.

“Bobby, give me an update.”

“I haven’t got much. The sheriff has been tight lipped on that cornfield body and the abandoned meth lab.”

“Hey, who took that call from the sheriff about the autopsy yesterday?”

“I did. All he said was to be at the morgue at eight.”

Officer Steven Prichard stood behind them and cleared his throat. “Chief, we, uh, have two situations that need your attention.”

“Now what?” the chief asked, following him out of his office.

“A pig killed a farmer, and cats attacked a woman. We found her body in a closet,” Officer Prichard replied.

“Bobby, take the cats. Steven and I will take the pig farm. After I check that out, I’ll meet you at the woman’s house.”

David had paused at his desk to listen. Matt pointed at his ringing phone. He wondered if working here would be worse than the fields for his son. Taking his own vehicle, he followed Steven out to Adamczyk’s farm. Located just outside the city limits, the whole town stunk when the wind came from the north. He would check out the scene, then delegate. Violent deaths were not typical here; his guys hesitated. His instincts screamed that these were not coincidences.

Jennifer Adamczyk sobbed hysterically. Already on the scene, Officer Brayland Kent stayed with her while he and Steven walked to the barn. They smelled a sickly sweet stench before they even entered.

“Brayland thinks the sow ate her babies and Pete tried to stop her,” Steven said as they walked down the narrow path to the back of the building.

“How many in the litter?” Matt asked, looking into the pen.

“Twelve.”

“She didn’t eat them. I see twelve shredded masses. It looks like she violently shook them, and then tore Pete apart.” Matt tried to stay objective. Pete’s dad and his had been childhood friends.

“Where do you want us to start?” Steven asked.

“Call Dr. Ellis. He’ll supervise the removal of the body. Who shot the sow?”

Steven looked everywhere except the pen. “Jennifer did. She saw it ripping her husband apart.”

“Tell Ellis I want a blood sample from the sow, too. Can you and Brayland handle this?” he asked, walking out of the barn.

“Yeah, but I’ll never eat pork again.”

Matt walked over to Jennifer and sat with her for a few minutes before he left for his next case.

“Dr. Pierce,” June said from the laboratory’s door.

“It’s lunch already?” She washed her hands and grabbed her purse. In the cafeteria, they found a table away from the ogling guys from the Materials Management Department.

“So tell me how it’s going,” June demanded as she squirted ketchup on her meatloaf.

Madeline blushed. “He’s sexy and sweet.”

“Sexy, I know, but what’s he do that’s so sweet?”

“Well, he opens the door for me, he pulls out my chair, and he’s romantic.”

“Yeah, like what?”

“When we first met I mentioned I liked this certain song … last night he sang it. But who knows how many times he’s done that? He’s a player.”

“Who cares? You work too hard. Enjoy his attention.”

“I am,” she replied, putting her hand to her heated face.

“How is he in the sack?” June whispered, leaning closer.

“Amazing,” she replied, looking at the table.

“He lights your fire, does he?” June laughed.

Madeline nodded and sipped her coke. She found an opening. “Hey, I heard about the fire on the fourth floor. What happened?”

“The chemicals they’re using are volatile; the fire started with only a spark.”

“Wow, and the fire department wasn’t called in?” she asked, munching her salad.

“No, Kim said security put it out. The company has top secret stuff in there.”