****
Donnie arrived at the Lowe’s store on Goliad Street in southeast San Antonio about nine-thirty. The store closed in a half hour but he knew what he needed and with help from an employee, he managed to collect everything before the store closed.
He put his cart load on the check-out table.
Four padlocks, keyed the same. A large box of screws. Twelve pieces of steel rebar, each one foot long. Four pieces of chain, each three foot long. Four heavy eyebolts. Another package of four padlocks, also keyed the same. Five-gallon buckets with their lids, four of them. Four latches that accepted padlocks and four thick moving blankets.
“Whatcha’ makin’?”
Donnie looked up, surprised by the question.
“Oh, it’s a 4-H project for my son.”
The cashier smiled at him while she rang him up.
“Cool. I was in 4-H. Loved it but I don’t remember any projects like this.”
Donnie tried to remain calm. He didn’t want to be noticed, never mind being questioned.
“Well, you know how it is. Things change.”
The cashier let it go and gave Donnie his total. He was relieved to pay and get out the door.
There was a H-E-B Foods on his way home, where he would stop for some groceries, and then to the house. He eagerly anticipated the next morning when he would be able begin the final steps of his mission. His mind raced with the possibilities of the next step in the plan. Billy still hadn’t shared what it was but each time Donnie completed a new project, it brought him closer to the ultimate final step. Donnie couldn’t wait to know what it was.
****
Six straight days of hard work had brought Donnie to the end of his construction task. He had visited Billy about half way through the project to make sure he was getting it right. Billy had been pleased and told Donnie so. It always meant a lot when his big brother was proud of him. Four solid cells were complete and the final preparations underway.
Donnie placed one of the five-gallon buckets in each cell. They would serve as a toilet for the people inside. Each cell was made of wood from the pile in the barn. Solid oak frame with steel bars in the window of each door. There was a blanket on the floor in each room with a chain lying next to it. The chain was fastened to a large eyebolt which Donnie had secured to the wall. Each door could be closed and padlocked.
Donnie went to his computer and looked at the names on his list. Four in all, each burned into Donnie’s memory since that awful day.
Ed Garland, his brother’s best friend. Suzanne Cooper, his brother’s girl friend of two years. Dexter Hughes and Chelsea Burt. Two people Donnie had never seen before that day.
It was time to choose the first name and Billy had left it up to Donnie. His brother didn’t care who was first and Donnie had debated for a couple days before making up his mind. And now it was time.
Chapter 5
Detective Jason Strong was just leaving his Terrill Hills neighborhood when his cell phone rang. He turned onto the highway leading to the station before answering.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Jason. How’s it going?”
It was Jason’s regular partner, Vanessa Layne. She was on maternity leave but was having a hard time not being involved with his investigations.
“Hey! Vanessa! Long time, no hear.”
“Very funny. Just wanted to remind you that I come back in a couple weeks. Have you got a case you’re on now?”
“Nope. Nina and I are just putting the final touches on the murder case from the nightclub. You remember the one I told you about yesterday.”
Jason smiled into the phone. Nina Jefferson had been his temporary partner since Vanessa had taken maternity leave three months ago. She was a good cop but Jason missed Vanessa as much as she missed working. She acknowledged his teasing.
“Okay, okay. I get it. Just trying to stay in the loop.”
Jason understood.
“How’s Kasen?”
The mention of her son seemed to instantly perk her up.
“Good! You and Sandy need to come visit him.”
The thought of his partner’s son always made Jason smile.
“You bet. I’ll get with Sandy and we’ll plan on coming over.”
Sandy is Jason’s wife. They met in college at the University of Texas at Austin. She was finishing her teaching degree and he was there attending the police academy. They had no kids of their own but Jason could tell little Kasen has Sandy thinking about what color to put in a nursery.
Jason heard a baby cry in the background.
“Gotta’ run. Talk to you later.” Vanessa hung up without waiting for an answer.
Jason laughed and looked at the phone.
“I’m sure.”
A few minutes later, he wheeled his car into the station parking lot. The day was typical late summer, hot with very little breeze. The air conditioning was welcome relief as he came through the station doors. His long time friend Dave Connor was at the sergeant’s desk.
“Hi, Dave. How’s Vicky?”
“Mean as ever! And Sandy?”
“Great. Thinking a little too much about babies! Nina in yet?”
Dave let out his big laugh.
“Yeah, saw her a few minutes ago.”
“Okay, thanks. See ya’ later.”
Jason got on the elevator and pushed the third floor button, making it glow. Homicide took up the entire third floor of the station.
His desk sat facing Vanessa’s desk, the two pushed up against each other. Detective Nina Jefferson was sitting in Vanessa’s spot when he walked up.
Black, short and stocky with curly hair, she was the consummate officer. Jason had come to appreciate her calmness and professional demeanor when things got tense. Still, even after three months, he hadn’t got used to seeing her in Vanessa’s chair.
Jason had just pulled out his own chair when Lieutenant Patton stuck his head out of his office.
“You two, in here!”
The two detectives exchanged glances and headed into the office. Nina took a chair while Jason stayed standing, leaning on the door frame.
“What’s up?”
Lieutenant John Patton is a big man; he works out even on his days off. Balding, but with bushy eyebrows and an unruly moustache, he claimed his hair was moving from his head to his face. When he was under stress, his eyebrows would knit together to form a hedge, which was apparently the case this morning.
He handed Nina a piece of paper.
“I don’t like to do it but the captain didn’t give me any choice. I have to loan you two out to the guys downstairs.”
Jason groaned.
“Why? What did we do to deserve this punishment?”
“It’s not a punishment! You two are next up on the board and so you get to help out our brothers.”
Nina appeared less than thrilled as well.
“It’s not a narcotics case, is it?”
“No. A simple missing persons case. They’re covered up and need an extra set of detectives. You’re it, see Lieutenant Banks.”
Jason and Nina got up and went straight to the elevator. On the way down to second floor Nina asked what Jason knew about Lieutenant Banks.
“Well, I’ve never met her personally, but there are stories.”
“Oh. What kinda stories?”
“Horror mostly.”
Jason laughed but Nina did not seem amused.
“Great!”
The elevator doors opened and they stopped to talk to an officer at the front desk.
“Lieutenant Banks?”
A thumb jerked over a shoulder served as directions.
They found Lieutenant Sarah Banks standing behind her desk. Tall with Dark brown hair that she kept close cropped and green eyes. She was an imposing figure and Jason had heard getting on her bad side was not a good idea.