Read Chapter One of Lost in the Library
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Jack
On his way into the office, Jack met with a mob of reporters who had gathered outside the station. The woman reporter who once wore the bright red coat was now in a dark blue dress, while the other tall man he remembered looked much the same as before and was just as eager to stick a microphone in his face.
“Detective Isaac, is it true that your fiancée is the latest missing person?” The man had a wild look in his eye, like the answer to his question was a meaty bone and he was a dog ready to devour it.
While Jack kept on moving, they followed him up the steps toward the building with their cameramen hot on their heels. Jack wasn’t prepared for a speech but knew that some transparency would be for the best. He had to say something to get them to back down.
He turned to face the small mob and stared into the cameras. “It is true that Courtney Hue and I had a relationship in the past, but I don’t think that it’s related to my case, and there is no proof of that at this time. She is currently missing and was last seen at the Coldwater Hotel. If anyone has any information, I’d appreciate them coming forward with it by contacting the Calder County Sheriff’s Department.”
“Is it true that you think she could be the next victim of the Butterfly Butcher?” The man spoke the name as if it were well known.
Hearing the moniker, Jack realized that some of the information had leaked to the press, and though he wouldn’t deny it, he didn’t want to confirm anything either. “That’s still being investigated.”
He turned to go into the building, but the woman pushed forward with her cameraman, and Jack felt something hit his hip and pin him at the door. He hated being crowded, but they weren’t going to let up until they asked all of their questions or he made it inside and away from them.
The woman was just inches from Jack now. “So is it true then that butterflies play an important part in these murders? Can you tell us more about that, detective?”
“What information do you have about the killer?” asked the man. “Surely you have some new information by now. Isn’t there anything you can release to the public who have been fearfully waiting for answers?”
Jack could feel the sweat beading on his forehead but knew better than to wipe it away. He didn’t want to appear anxious. “I’m not at liberty to say more at this time. I’ll release an official statement when I know something new that I feel I can share. But please know that we’re doing all we can to find the person responsible and to find out what happened to Ms. Hue.”
“Is it true that she was in town to see you?”
Jack felt a sting in his chest. “Yes, she had come to Everly to see me and for other business-related reasons.”
With Courtney still missing, Jack knew he had to make every moment count. He had work to do, and the press was only holding him back.
“That’s all for now,” he said, turning away from them.
As he hurried into the building, he waved Officer Donohue over to help him get inside without the crowd, and Officer Corbin assisted in getting them to back off.
“Move away,” said Donohue with a stern tone. “You can’t come in here.”
Corbin was just as aggressive. “Back up. Back up.”
The two walked forward and took control, and Jack had to wonder why they hadn’t helped him until he asked. He was fairly sure someone in the department was telling the press information, and though he wouldn’t put it past Officer Donohue, he wasn’t positive about that either. And after the last accusations against the man fell flat, he wouldn’t bother questioning him about it.
Jack hurried to the back of the office and hit the main hallway. When he made it around the corner out of sight, he finally wiped the sweat from his brow.
“What is going on?” asked Sheriff Quinn, who opened his door when Jack passed by in a hurry. “What is that commotion?”
“I had a little run-in with the press,” he said. “Thanks for having my back.”
“Sorry, I was on a phone call, or I would have come out.” Quinn gave him an apologetic look, and Jack actually felt like the man had no idea.
He shrugged it off. “It’s fine. I had Officers Donohue and Corbin get rid of them. I can’t promise that they won’t be lurking around when I go to lunch later, but maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll have thought of something to say by then. I guess the butterfly evidence leaked.”
Sheriff Quinn nodded. “It happens. You’ll get used to it.”
“I’m not sure I will, but thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“What are you about to do?”
“I’m waiting on a call back from that detective in Rockford. I hope that he’ll give me more information on the murder case I asked about. He’s supposed to have worked the case.”
“Let me know how that turns out,” he said, walking across the hall with his coffee mug. Jack figured he was going to get a refill, but he didn’t stick around to wait and see.
While the old man was distracted, he hurried to his own office and shut the door behind him. Still sweating bullets, he took off his coat and put it on the back of his chair. Loosening his tie, he sat down and took a deep breath. “Get it together.”
Now that the stressful part of his morning was over, he had other matters to attend to, and waiting for someone to call him back wasn’t how he had hoped to spend the rest of his day.
With his patience worn out hours earlier and his mood shot from the reporters, Jack picked up the phone and called down to the Rockford PD in hopes that Officer Shaughnessy could give him some more insight into the case. Or at least light a fire under Detective Banks’s ass. The retiring detective still had not called Jack back even after he had left him several messages. And Jack really hated being ignored.
As the phone rang on the other end, he wondered if they had decided not to help or if the about-to-retire detective had lost the fire he must have had when he went into the line of work. It was a grueling job, especially when someone you cared about was on the line. But Jack wasn’t going to give up. Not knowing he was onto something.
After being transferred to the officer’s department, Shaughnessy got on the line. “Officer Shaughnessy speaking,” he said in a bored tone. It was just another morning for him, but Jack felt like it would be one of his last if he didn’t find Courtney soon.
“Ah, yeah, this is Detective Isaac calling you again from Calder County. I spoke with you yesterday about an old case out of your city that could be related to one I’m dealing with now.”
“Right, I remember you,” he said. “What can I help you with?”
“Well, I was hoping that you might have spoken with Detective Banks and could tell me how to better get in touch with him. I’ve left several messages at this point, and he hasn’t called back. I’m really in a time crunch here and hate to be a pain in the ass, but this is very important.”
The man let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, I spoke to him late last night, as a matter of fact. And well, I told him about your situation.”
“What did he say?” Jack felt a sense of relief knowing they had spoken.
“He told me that he thinks you’re barking up the wrong tree, and he really doesn’t want to get involved with this one. As I told you, he’s days from retiring after a long, burdening career. He really doesn’t have time to help.”
Jack couldn’t believe both men’s carefree attitudes. How could they know how bad the situation was and not want to help? “I don’t expect to burden him with anything, but I have a serious situation here. And now it’s personal. I just need to speak with him for a few minutes, that’s all. If I’m barking up the wrong tree, he could at least tell me that himself. But I at least would like to hear it from him, no offense.” Jack felt disrespected and didn’t understand how a detective, even one who was about to retire, could just walk away and leave something unanswered. He certainly couldn’t.
“No offense taken. I get where you’re coming from. Some of these cases can be really grim and desperate.” The man cleared his throat. “Look, Detective Banks said if you called back, to tell you that he agrees that you shouldn’t do this case alone, but he’s not your guy, and his replacement doesn’t know shit about it. Call the FBI for help. They’ll give you more resources than you need and probably more help than you want.”
Jack knew that was true, but it didn’t help matters much. “That’s not an option,” he said, thinking about the commissioners. “Look, this is important. A matter of life or death. So, can’t you give me anything else? Any information on this guy or another way to get in touch with Detective Banks? I’ll settle for his case files, and I’ll handle it myself.”
“Look, I sympathize. I really do. But I don’t know what else to tell you. Keep calling him back. Maybe he’ll get sick of it and answer. Maybe he’ll block your number.”
“That’s why I need you to help me be creative. Give me something. Anything. I just need to make contact. Please.” Jack needed a different way to reach the man where he would not know exactly who was calling him.
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you a lead on him, but you didn’t get it from me.”
“No problem. Anything.” Jack was willing to keep his mouth shut about whatever as long as he got the information he needed.
“Banks goes to the Westwood Country Club at least three days a week. So, you should be able to catch him there. But I warn you. He’s really close to the other case. It’s a very touchy subject with him.”
“I get that.” Jack understood that some detectives saw specific cases as their babies. That when they were solved, they liked to think that the evil had been put to rest. So sure, it would be hard to think that someone you had a hand in putting away might be up to no good again, but the facts were too close, from what Jack could tell. The necklaces, the butterflies, it all had to mean something, and it was too much to be a coincidence.
Jack had one more question for the cop. “Did he say anything else about the killer? Did he give you anything?”
“No, just that you must be mistaken.”
“I don’t think I am,” said Jack. He raked his hand through his hair and wanted to scream. “I really don’t.”
“I know. That’s the only reason I helped. Call the country club. You’ll find him.”
“Thank you.” Jack let go of a breath, thankful that not everyone in Rockford was as hard-headed as Banks seemed to be.
“No problem.” The man ended the call, and Jack sat staring at the wall for a few seconds, letting it all sink in. How could the man just assume that Jack had the wrong guy and leave it at that?
He owed him answers, and Jack was determined to get them.
