Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
Sienna’s mind didn’t register the scenery passing her window. Her thoughts whirled. While she’d thoroughly enjoyed their brief respite of eating at Rosie’s Diner, especially hearing Zeke introduce her as his fiancée, now the oppressive weight of her unknown future hovered over her.
Stay or go?
The words bounced in her mind like a Ping-Pong ball darting from one side of the table to the other. Stay? Go? Stay? Go? Stay? Go?
Stop it! She pressed her fingertips to her temples as if she could reach inside her head and pluck the words out. Stressing out about this wasn’t helpful. She needed to believe God would send her a clear message as to the path she should take.
When it was time.
“Sienna? Are you okay? Do you have a headache?” Zeke’s concerned tone helped steady her nerves. “I can turn around and take you back to the safe house.”
“No.” The word came out stronger than she’d meant it to. “I mean, I’m fine. Maybe a little tired.” That wasn’t exactly true. Caffeine zipped through her blood stream at the speed of light.
“If you’re sure.” Zeke’s tone was full of doubt.
“I’m positive.” She forced a smile and concentrated on the upcoming interview. “Do you think this Toby Belinsky will cooperate with you?”
“I hope so.” Zeke didn’t look concerned. “Gabe will continue to dig into his past, see if there’s anything we can use as leverage to help convince him to come clean.” There was a brief pause, then Zeke added, “To be fair, we don’t have proof that he is involved in the attacks against you. He could just clam up and tell us nothing.”
“I understand.”
Zeke seemed to straighten in his seat when they passed a sign indicating they’d entered Timberland Falls. She hadn’t spent much time in the suburb while she’d lived here, but the homes seemed to be well maintained with plenty of trees with leaves just starting to turn orange and yellow and bushes dotting the yards. She had gotten used to the lack of greenery in California; LA was mostly desert. There were pretty palm trees and some bushes, but nothing as beautiful as here.
Home. The word flashed in her mind. She hadn’t lived here in seven years, but it was still home.
And maybe it always would be.
“Okay, that’s the house,” Zeke interrupted her thoughts. She quickly looked where he’d indicated. The plain brown-brick ranch-style home was one of the older homes on the block.
“I see it.” Also in contrast to LA, the houses here were spread out from each other on lots that appeared to be at least a half-acre or more, rather than being built practically on top of each other. Land was a premium in California, and the only homes on large lots went for multiple millions of dollars. “I don’t see a car in the driveway.”
“No, but it could be in the garage. We’re looking for a black Dodge Hornet.” At her blank look, he added, “It’s a small SUV.”
“Okay. Maybe this guy is at work?” She frowned as Zeke drove around the block. “You might have asked Grayson to meet you here for nothing.”
“We’ll find out.” He shrugged, then shifted into park. Then he pointed toward his driver’s side window. “See that brown brick beyond the white house we’re parked in front of? That’s the property. I’m letting you know in case you need to get out of here.”
Her stomach clenched as he pulled the car key fob from his pocket and handed it over. She hoped her voice didn’t betray her fear as she asked, “How long should I sit here and wait for you?”
“I don’t know. But you have your disposable phone, right?” When she nodded and pulled it from her pocket, he smiled. “Good. I’ll let you know via text messages how things are going.”
“Okay.” She told herself it was broad daylight and that there was no reason to be concerned. Still, she tucked the key fob into her pocket and dropped the disposable cell phone in the cupholder.
Zeke’s expression turned serious. “I want you to wait in the driver’s seat. If you hear anything that sounds like gunfire, you need to get out of here as soon as possible.”
As there had already been one episode of gunfire since Ken Holt’s death, she knew Zeke was prepared for the worst. That they might find this Toby Belinsky guy armed and ready for battle.
“Sienna?” Zeke scowled. “I’m serious about this. Promise me you’ll drive away the instant you hear gunfire.”
“I promise.” She pushed the words past her tight throat. Leaving Zeke behind wouldn’t be easy, but she wasn’t armed and wouldn’t be able to back him up. Much like last night, she was afraid she’d only make things worse if she tried to rush in to save him. “But I need you to promise me something too.”
“Like what?”
“That you won’t take any unnecessary risks.” She reached for his hand, gripping it tightly. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
He frowned. “I’m not planning to be reckless. I’m a good cop. However, you need to know that every situation has the potential to go sideways.”
“I get that.” She tried to offer a reassuring smile. “I just want you back in one piece.”
“I’ll be fine.” Confidence oozed from his tone. “And Grayson will be here any minute.” As if his colleague had heard them talking, Zeke’s phone rang. “This is him now. Hey, Grayson. We’re parked on the next block behind the target house.”
There was a pause as Zeke listened.
“Yep, see you soon.” Zeke lowered the phone, and a moment later, she saw another black SUV come around the corner and head toward them. The driver was a blond-haired guy who made a Y-turn, then pulled in to park behind them. Zeke glanced at her. “Get behind the wheel so you can be ready to go if needed.”
She nodded and pushed out of the car. Grayson joined Zeke, then turned to smile at her. “Congrats! I’m thrilled for you and Zeke.”
“Thanks.” She returned his smile, then stepped forward to give Zeke a quick hug. “Be safe, Zeke. I love you.” The words came naturally, but she could tell the declaration had caught him off guard.
“I will. Love you too.” He gave her a quick kiss, then released her. He turned to Grayson. “I didn’t see any sign of movement when I drove by, did you?”
“Nope. I figure we should check the garage first, see if the black Dodge Hornet is in there,” Grayson said. He gestured to the house tucked behind the one they were standing in front of. “I think the garage has a side window.”
“Great. Oh, by the way, Gabe sent me a copy of this guy’s driver’s license photo.” He held up his phone to show Grayson an image of an unsmiling man. Then Zeke turned the phone so she could see it too. “Does he look familiar?” Zeke asked.
She stared at the picture for a long moment. “No, sorry. If he’s a friend of Josh’s, I never met him.”
“That’s fine. I wanted to make sure.” Zeke pocketed his phone. Then he shot her a questioning glance. “You’ll be okay?”
“Yes, of course.” She took that as her cue to get back into the SUV. She slid into the driver’s seat, took a moment to adjust the seat, then closed the door. Slouching down in the seat so as not to attract too much attention, she watched as Zeke and Grayson split up and approached the back of the home from two different directions.
It didn’t take long for them to disappear from her line of sight. Leaving her little choice but to settle in and wait.
And pray.
Zeke had to take a moment to shake off the impact of Sienna’s words.
I love you.
He’d been able to return the sentiment easily enough because it was true. He did love her. With his entire heart.
And that was a problem. Because the more he thought about her leaving town never to be heard from again, the more he wanted to drop off the face of the earth with her.
Throwing his career away in one fell swoop.
That wasn’t something he should be thinking of now, though. He cleared his mind and scanned the area. The neighborhood was quiet, maybe because it was noon on Wednesday. There was no sign of anyone at home, but he pressed himself against the brick anyway.
Listening intently, he watched as Grayson took the opposite side of the home. His teammate paused, peeked in through the garage window, then turned away. Grayson caught Zeke’s gaze and shook his head.
Great. No car probably meant Toby Belinsky wasn’t home. Still, he intended to make sure. Belinsky could have left the SUV somewhere and taken a rideshare home.
Especially if he had gone out drinking after killing a guy.
Then again, someone in a black SUV had taken shots at Sienna outside the seventh district police station. So maybe Belinsky was still out and about, trying to track Sienna’s phone again.
He nodded at Grayson to indicate he understood, then edged to the closest window. There were no blinds covering the opening, so he could easily see into what appeared to be a junk room. Maybe once an office but the desk could barely be seen beyond the stacks of papers and boxes piled on top. There were other boxes along the walls, as if Belinsky had moved in recently but hadn’t gotten around to unpacking.
He should have asked Gabe to run down the list of property owners to understand when Belinsky may have purchased the place. After finding nothing interesting in the junk room, he moved on to the next window.
This one did have drapes. There was a small gap, but it was hard to see into the room beyond. He could just make out the mattress and headboard, but that was it. The bed was unmade though, so likely the primary bedroom.
The guy wasn’t sleeping it off. Still, he continued moving until he’d checked the next window, the clouded glass identifying it as a bathroom, and the next, which was a messy living room.
Grayson was doing the same thing, peering into the windows until they were able to meet up near the garage.
“See anyone?” Zeke whispered.
“Negative. You?”
Zeke shook his head. “I couldn’t really see into the bathroom, but I’m convinced the place is empty.”
“Agree. Our target isn’t home,” Grayson murmured.
Zeke frowned, glancing around the spacious backyard. There was a concrete slab that could be used as a patio, but no outdoor furniture. That in addition to all the boxes made him think Belinsky hadn’t lived there long.
“What are you thinking?” Grayson asked.
“Give me a minute to reach out to Gabe.” He really wanted to know if this guy had moved in recently. He considered using a text, then decided it would be easier to talk it through over the phone.
“What’s up, Zeke? Find something?” Gabe asked.
“We’re at the Belinsky residence now.” Zeke kept his voice low. “I’m seeing a lot of boxes inside and am curious how long this guy has lived here.” If Belinsky was new to the area, it was less likely he was a part of this. He couldn’t imagine that Allenton had bought the place for the gunman.
“Sure, that information is publicly accessible.” Gabe’s fingers clattered on the keyboard. “This is how real estate agents reach out to homeowners to see if they’re interested in selling their home.”
Zeke was familiar with the practice; he’d gotten those postcard flyers too. The real estate market was hot these days. He continued scanning the area as he waited for Gabe.
“Okay, it looks like Belinsky has been living there for two years. The previous owner was also a Belinsky, though. A Louise Belinsky. Looks as if he paid less than market value for the property. Maybe Louise is his mother, grandmother, or aunt, and she chose to sell it to him for a discounted price. I’ll have to dig deeper if you want that information.”
That was interesting. “Yes, please do dig deeper into who Louise Belinsky is and her relationship to Toby,” Zeke said. “I appreciate your help on this.”
“Anytime,” Gabe said. “I’ll let you know what I find out.”
“Later.” He lowered the phone and quickly filled Grayson in on the information. “I inherited my mother’s house when she died. Could be a similar situation here.”
“Maybe. Let’s hope he didn’t kill dear old Louise and hide her body in the freezer,” Grayson said with a sigh.
Zeke knew Grayson meant it as a joke, but it was a horrible discovery they’d stumbled upon eighteen months ago. A young man had killed his father, stuffed his body in the freezer, then kept his phone so that he could pretend the old man was still alive. The gig was up, though, when the guy’s son tried to collect his father’s life insurance policy.
No one ever said criminals were smart.
“We’ll see what Gabe comes up with. If Louise died or disappeared, he’ll let us know.” Zeke sighed. “What do you think? I’m torn between going up to knock at the front door and staying back here to wait for Belinsky to return.”
“I vote for option number two,” Grayson said. “If this guy was here, one of us would have seen him.”
“Okay. We’ll hang around.” Zeke hoped they wouldn’t end up wasting an entire day on what could very well prove to be a wild goose chase. “Staying out here might alert the nosy neighbors, so we should park on opposite sides of the street and keep an eye on the place from there.”
“I can get on board with that plan. I can even go one block over since we know he’s driving a black Dodge Hornet.” Grayson grinned. “They’re kinda squat and boxy in shape. Should be an easy car to spot.”
“Exactly. Here, I’ll send you the driver’s license photo.” He texted Grayson the picture Gabe had provided. Then he quickly texted Sienna. Heading back to you.
She responded instantly. Good.
Just then he heard the unmistakable sound of a garage door opening. He quickly grabbed Grayson’s arm.
“I hear it,” Grayson whispered.
He sent another quick text to Sienna. Wait. Back to original plan. TB is home.
Her response came two seconds later. Be careful.
He wanted to send a heart emoji but stopped himself. There would be time to sort out his feelings later.
Shoving the phone into his pocket, he turned to Grayson. “Let’s split up.”
Grayson nodded and pointed to the right-hand side of the ranch home. Zeke quickly turned and moved to the left, anxious to get a glimpse of Belinsky driving in. As he reached the left front corner, he saw a black car slowing as it approached the driveway. Then as if watching in slow motion, the vehicle turned into the driveway.
A Dodge Hornet just as Gabe had told them.
With his back pressed against the wall, he considered how to approach their target. Zeke didn’t want to lose this guy, similar to how Ken Holt had fled from the Wooden Nickel. Yet they needed to interview him.
A direct approach seemed the best option. He sent a text to Grayson. I’ll going to knock at the front door. Cover the back.
Grayson’s reply was the okay sign.
Zeke listened as a car door opened and closed. The garage door closed, too, and after another full minute passed, he figured Toby Belinsky was inside the house.
He sent Grayson another text. Heading up now. Stay alert.
Got it.
Zeke waited another minute, then walked down to the street. From there, he walked along the road until he reached the driveway. Pretending as if he’d parked a car down the street, he strode up the driveway and then along the uneven sidewalk to the front door, the way any other normal person would.
After pulling his badge from his pocket, he boldly knocked at the front door.
For a long moment, he only heard silence. If he hadn’t heard and seen Belinsky come home, he’d assume there was nobody inside. He knocked a second time.
The front door swung open, revealing a scowling man that sort of resembled the driver’s license photo. Although this guy looked older and gaunt.
Maybe the life of crime didn’t agree with him.
He also wore a hoodie, much like Gabe had described from the gas station video.
“No solicitation,” Belinsky said in a rude, loud voice. He glared at Zeke through the screen door, then stepped back as if to slam the door shut.
“I’m a cop.” Zeke held up his badge. “Officer Hawthorne with the Milwaukee Police Department. Are you Mr. Toby Belinsky? I need to ask you a few questions.”
Even through the screen, he saw Belinsky’s eyes widen with horror. Then the guy shrank from him as if he were a rattlesnake, and he was afraid of being bitten. Without uttering another word, he abruptly slammed the door shut.
Well now, that wasn’t very polite.
This was not the response he’d hoped for, but he wasn’t about to let this guy off so easy. He pounded on the door again. “Mr. Belinsky?” He raised his voice loud enough that Grayson and any neighbor with an open window could hear him. “Police! I need you to open the door so I can ask you a few questions!”
Apparently, Toby Belinsky was not interested in cooperating. Which made him think they might have the right guy. Most law-abiding citizens didn’t slam the door when a cop showed up on their doorstep.
After another long ten seconds of silence, he pounded and shouted again, mentally braced for a violent response.
He was about to text Grayson a warning when he heard his teammate shout, “Stop! Police!”
Then he heard the sharp report of gunfire.
No! Pulling his weapon, Zeke sprinted to the left, knowing Grayson was somewhere along the right side of the brick home. He took the corner so tight he scraped his arm along the ancient brick, then headed full-bore into the backyard.
Another crack of gunfire had his heart jumping into his throat. Was Grayson hurt?
Dead?
Fearing the worst, he entered the backyard, stopping short when he saw Belinsky lying on the ground, his hand resting on his chest. Grayson was bending over him, and from what Zeke could tell, his fellow teammate wasn’t injured.
“He bolted out the door, then turned to take a shot at me,” Grayson said, his expression grim. “I had little choice but to return fire.”
“I heard. It’s not your fault.” He pulled out his phone and dialed 911, requesting officers and an ambulance on scene. Then he knelt beside the fallen man. “Are you Toby Belinsky?”
The injured man didn’t answer, but up close the resemblance to the driver’s license was spot-on. Seeing the blood pooling on Belinsky’s chest had him grabbing fistfuls of the guy’s hoodie sweatshirt and pressing down on the wound.
“Come on, Toby, talk to me,” Zeke said, willing the injured man to look at him. “Why did you shoot Officer Clark?”
Still no answer. He leaned on the wound, adding his weight as pressure. That made Belinsky groan, sweat popping out on his forehead. It seemed to Zeke’s nonmedical eye that the guy was growing pale with each passing second. He did not want this man to die, yet he also knew it wasn’t at all likely Belinsky would survive a point-blank bullet wound to the chest.
They needed to get him to talk!
“Did you fire shots at Sienna Reynolds?” He could see Grayson was bagging Belinsky’s weapon as evidence. The gun might well answer the question of whether he shot at Sienna, so he moved on. “Did someone hire you to stalk Sienna? To try to scare her? Hurt her? Kill her?”
Belinsky’s eyelids fluttered open, as if just now realizing Zeke was talking to him. His eyes were shadowed with confusion.
He was going into shock from blood loss.
“Please tell us who hired you.” Zeke was well aware he was practically begging now. “Did you know that someone murdered Ken Holt? Was that you?”
The name didn’t seem to register. Maybe Belinsky didn’t know the guy’s name.
If Belinsky hadn’t fired first, he’d be afraid they’d shot the wrong man.
Finally, Belinsky moved his lips as if he were going to tell him what he needed to know. “Save me.”
“I am. I’m holding pressure on your wound, and the ambulance will be here any second.” He did his best to sound confident and reassuring. “Tell me who hired you. I know you didn’t do any of this on your own.”
Belinsky groaned again, his eyes drifting to the right.
“Come on, Toby.” It was all Zeke could do not to shake the guy by the shoulders. “Talk to me! Who hired you?”
“Al...” Belinsky’s voice faded, and his eyes slid closed.
“Who hired you?” Zeke repeated. “Josh Allenton? Is that what you were trying to say?”
Belinsky didn’t respond, his entire body going limp.
“Grayson, check for a pulse.” Zeke didn’t let up on the double-fisted pressure he was leveraging on the chest wound. As Grayson put his hand to the man’s neck to search for a carotid pulse, he prayed Belinsky wouldn’t die.
Then Grayson grimaced and shook his head.
A wave of helplessness washed over him. Zeke’s chin dropped to his chest as the wail of sirens filled the air. It was too late. He didn’t even care if he had to face off with the less than friendly Timberland Falls Police Department.
Toby Belinsky was dead.
Had Toby really implicated Josh Allenton?
He thought so. But that didn’t mean they were any closer to finding the proof they needed that Josh Allenton had hired Belinsky to go after Sienna.