Lucy was still trying to sort out the logistics. The only part of her plan that was solid was the part where Megan stayed way the hell away from all of it. “See if you can access the house’s Wi-Fi with your phone or my laptop. If I can reach Walden, I think I have a way to find Mateo.”
Megan opened the door to the back seat and began working while Lucy shrugged into her tactical vest and added the items she needed to its many pockets. Her hand hovered over the combat medic kit but instead she grabbed a spare magazine, an extra Maglite, zip ties, and her ASP baton. She needed to be able to move fast and quiet. Lucy stashed her night vision monocular in the front pocket of her vest where it would be close to hand. She wished she had proper tactical clothing instead of shorts and sneakers, but at least this time she was heading into action wearing shoes.
“If the plan was for Pastor Fleming to fake his own death, maybe he’s in danger now as well. One less witness and they could collect his life insurance,” Megan said. Not for the first time Lucy thought what a great criminal mastermind her daughter would make. “It could take years to have him declared dead otherwise.”
“Already there. If it comes to it, I’m hoping I can turn him against Hayden and his wife, and anyone else involved. But finding him and Mateo comes first. They must have a meeting place—maybe an empty house with a dock or a camping spot or coordinates out at sea to meet the boat?”
“They know you’ll come after them.”
“That’s what worries me. Stopping me isn’t enough—they have no idea who I’ve already talked to, not to mention Mateo’s family and the other local cops. Even if they frame Mateo for Fleming’s death, how are they going to cover their tracks once they get the money?”
“I got into the guest Wi-Fi,” Megan said. “Want me to text Dad?”
“Let me get the ball rolling with Walden first.” His number was in Lucy’s email contact list. She used the voice over internet app to call him. “I need you to loop Taylor in and my husband on a conference call,” she instructed after she explained the situation to him. Soon her screen was filled with Walden’s always-serious face; her best computer tech, Taylor’s impetuous grin; and Nick managing to look both relieved and worried at the same time. Her A-team.
Taylor made quick work of the data she gave him, finding a second insulin pump registered to Flemings’ account with the manufacturer. It was always little things like applying for a rebate or warranty that tripped up most criminals.
“Taylor, can you get me a GPS reading on Fleming’s insulin pump?”
“Not without a warrant—if you want it admissible.”
“Don’t care about that. Exigent circumstances—there’s a kid’s life at stake.” Besides it wasn’t her jurisdiction or her case, so evidentiary rules be damned. Except. “If it’s something illegal that you’ll be busted for, tell me what to do and let the trail come back to me.”
His head was bowed over his keyboard and he was humming AC/DC—which meant good news. “No worries. Just give me a sec.”
She didn’t ask for any details that might get them both in legal hot water down the road. Instead, she turned her attention to Walden. “Anything on Hayden I could use as leverage?”
“I can see why she might need money. Her husband died last year, leaving a ton of medical bills. Looks like the house is in foreclosure.”
Broke public servant in the midst of all this wealth—including her own sister? Could explain why Hayden was desperate enough to go along with Shelly and Robert. More than protecting her sister, she was hoping for a way to protect the home she’d shared with her husband.
Primal forces, defending family and home. Might make Hayden dangerous.
“I need back up. Sheriff’s department if they have boats or a helo available, if not, go with the Coast Guard. Hell, I’ll take the Beach Patrol and a few lifeguards if they have any tactical training. I don’t like going up against fellow cops alone, not when they know the playbook as well as I do.”
“Then don’t,” Nick urged. “Stay with Megan, keep her safe.”
“I will if Fleming is too far away, but if he’s close by—and I suspect he is—then there’s no time to wait. The only way for Hayden and the Flemings to get away clean is to kill Mateo.”
“If Chief Hayden and Mrs. Fleming are involved,” Walden, her resident devil’s advocate cautioned. “You have no proof. It’s not against the law for a police chief to not call in outside assistance to help with a case. She’s perfectly within her rights. So unless Mrs. Fleming already filed a false insurance claim for the stolen money, neither she nor the chief have broken any laws as far as we know.”
“Maybe not yet,” Lucy said. “Let’s make sure we find Mateo before they have a chance.”
Walden nodded. “I’ll get right on it.”
Which left her and Nick alone.
“Megan, could you walk down to the mailbox and get us the exact address, please?” Lucy asked. Megan looked like she was going to balk at the request, but then nodded and left, giving Lucy a few moments of privacy with Nick.