sorry…I’ve changed my mind…
I want to stay single a little longer.
I hope you understand…
Love, Michelle
Logan had been crushed. But the worst was yet to come – the following year, after her graduation, Michelle had married Adam Barker, Logan’s trusted friend.
“So the friend who betrayed me twenty years ago wants me to help the woman who betrayed me twenty years ago – is that about it, Barker?” Logan said aloud. “Not bloody likely.”
Then he crumpled Barker’s note and cryptogram with his junk mail, walked into his kitchen, opened the door under the kitchen sink, and threw all of the crumpled materials into the trash.
*******
Chapter 3
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Monday, June 15th, 1:30 p.m.
Permission to Proceed
Thomas Blake knocked on the open door of Police Sergeant Sidney Hazlet’s office. “Hey, Sid…Do you have a minute?”
Sidney Hazlet was Blake’s and Turner’s Patrol Supervisor. He was ten years younger than Blake, and he had the look of a grizzled prize fighter. He’d retired from the Chicago Police Force after twenty years of service – and he had hired Blake as a part-time Reserve Patrol Officer two years later, after Blake had retired.
Hazlet looked up from the papers on his desk, smiled at Blake, and said, “Hey, Tommy…come on in and sit down. How’s it going? How are you and young Turner working out?”
Blake entered Hazlet’s office, and sat down in the chair next to Hazlet’s desk. “We’re good, Sid. Turner’s a fine officer.”
“Glad to hear it. Just don’t corrupt him with your by-the-book B.S., Tommy.”
Blake laughed. “Too late, Sid. I’ve already started the brainwashing. Seriously, I wanted to talk with you about the Mercedes that Turner and I processed last Friday night. Did you read our report on it?”
“Yeah, I did, Tommy. I also heard that our boys searched the lagoon, but didn’t come up with a body.”
“That’s good news”
“Yeah, it is. We also heard from Barker’s groundskeeper that Barker spent part of Friday night at his Lake Geneva place. The groundskeeper said Barker showed up around 5:30 p.m., and apparently stayed until midnight – at least, that’s when the alarm system was reset.”
“Wait…Barker has a place here in Lake Geneva?”
“Yeah…over on the south side of the lake…on North Oakland Road. Barker’s parents owned it until 2010, and then Adam Barker inherited it when the parents died in a plane crash.”
Blake nodded. “So that explains why the Mercedes was in Lake Geneva…and why the Mercedes tire tracks came into the lagoon area from the south…but it still doesn’t tell us what happened to Adam Barker.”
“You checked the tire tracks? Damn, Tommy, you’re a Reserve Patrol Officer, remember?”
Blake smiled. “Old habits, Sid. But that brings me to the reason I wanted to talk to you. Something doesn’t add up with this Barker thing.”
“How so? Our detectives think it’s just a “missing person” case…. They don’t even want to screw with it – at least not until there’s evidence to justify more work.”
“That’s just it. I think there is justification.”
Blake pulled out his cell phone, and showed Hazlet the photos of the fleet car tire tracks in the lagoon area. “I think these tire tracks were deliberately placed to hide whatever was going on in the lagoon area.”
Then Blake showed Hazlet the photo of the same tire tracks leaving the lagoon area. “And whoever was driving the vehicle that made those tracks headed north out of the lagoon area…leaving Barker’s Mercedes running, with the keys in the ignition…and most likely, taking Adam Barker along for the ride north.”
Hazlet leaned back in his chair. “How come these photos weren’t in your report, Tommy?”
“I didn’t have them Friday night, Sid…I took them Saturday morning, when I went back to the lagoon area for a second look.”
“O.K…Where are you heading with this, Tommy?”
“I want your permission to follow this Barker thing a little further, Sid.”
Hazlet looked at Blake for a few seconds, then slowly nodded. “Only because it’s you, Tommy. Only because of your track record in Chicago. I’ll clear it with our Detective Bureau… But I hope you know I can’t pay you detective wages, Tommy…Hell, I can’t even pay your expenses…the Brass will have my…my…rhymes with Brass.”
Blake laughed. “I know, Sid. Thanks. I’ll keep you in the loop.”
“Please do. And if I hear anything, I’ll let you know. Should I keep scheduling you with Turner? Or do you want to hold off on patrols for awhile?”
“I’m O.K. with the patrols, Sid. In fact, I think I need to be scheduled for the patrols – otherwise, the Brass will wonder why I’m still around.”
Hazlet nodded. “Good thinking, Tommy. O.K…. Why don’t you move forward by notifying Barker’s wife about finding the Mercedes… and then you can also tell her you’re likely to show up with a few questions – to help find her husband.”
Blake waved. “That’d be perfect, Sid. And thanks again.”
Hazlet waved back. “Later, Tommy. Good hunting.”
Blake left Hazlet’s office, walked down the hall to the Squad Room, and using one of the desk phones, placed a call…to Michelle Barker.
*******
Chapter 4
Brookfield, Wisconsin
Tuesday, June 16th, 8:30 a.m.
The Cryptogram
Jack Logan was sitting in the back booth of the Ruby Isle Panera’s, eating his breakfast, and reading the morning paper. As he turned to page 4A, a small picture in the “Regional Briefing” section caught his attention – it was a photo of Adam Barker:
What the hell…Logan thought, Adam’s missing? Since Friday night?
Wait a minute…What was Friday? The 12th… Friday was the 12th…When did Adam send that note? The 11th, I think…I have to check that…
Logan
