Deadly Cover-Up, page 8
Ben shook his head and showed him his badge, then pocketed it. “I’m just not buying it. I’m Ben Graham with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and this is Jordan Kendrick. She used to work with your mom. We have a few questions about Southeastern and the work they were doing at the lab. Can we go somewhere private to talk? We need your help.”
“Sorry, I can’t help you.” Before the words were even completely out of his mouth, Chad turned and started running toward the kitchen, knocking people to the side as he did so and hitting one worker’s arm who was carrying four cups of coffee in a brown box carrier. Coffee spewed all over the floor, across the bags of paper goods and made a truly sticky, steaming mess behind the counter.
Ben followed him immediately, his shoes gaining purchase despite the dark brown liquid that had coated the floor. He made a grab for the fleeing man but wasn’t quite fast enough to touch more than just his apron strings before Chad escaped. He continued to chase him, slowed down by other workers who weren’t aware of the drama unfolding and were surprised to see a customer in the employee-only area of the kitchen.
The barista pulled two racks of food over behind him, attempting to block Ben’s path, and pans laden with pastries and scones flew off the shelves and contributed to the mélange. Chad finally made it to the rear door and hit it hard with his back, then whirled and disappeared out of the restaurant. Ben quickly pushed the racks aside and stepped over a couple of bags of paper goods, unfortunately knocking one female worker down as he did so in his haste to follow the man out of the building. He took the time to help her back to her feet and mutter a quick apology, then hurled himself after Chad Peretti, hitting the back door only moments behind the absconding barista.
There was no way Ben was going to let Chad Peretti escape. They had spent too much time tracking him down. Ben and Jordan didn’t know what, if anything, he could add to the investigation, but right now, Chad was their only lead. So far, Bailey and the IT team still hadn’t been able to break the encryption code on the hard drive they had found at the Sparks house, and they were hitting brick walls down every other avenue they had investigated. Jordan hadn’t been able to find Chad on her own, but now that they had found him as a team, they were both hopeful he could give them something they could use. They knew Chad was probably antsy since he had gone to such lengths to disappear, but neither of them had expected him to run as soon as they revealed his true identity.
“Sherriff’s Department! Stop!” Ben yelled, but Chad ignored the command and didn’t even slow down as he left the coffee shop behind and sprinted under the raised Jacksonville Skyway train track. He ran up the stairs toward the train, jumped over the turnstile and headed into a sea of people that were waiting for the next monorail.
Ben jumped the turnstile as well, still about thirty feet behind his quarry. He pushed through the crowd, following Chad with his eyes by focusing on the brown apron and the dark ponytail. He wasn’t exactly sure where Jordan had ended up, but he hoped she didn’t stray too far away. Right now, all of his energy and focus had to be on catching Chad. If Samantha’s son did manage to escape, they might not be able to find him again. He would probably go deeper into hiding and forget all about his job at the coffee shop, or leave Florida altogether, once and for all.
Like a world-class gymnast, Chad jumped on the handrail, steadied himself and pulled himself up on the metal roof that covered the train. Despite the noise from the commuters, Ben could hear Chad’s feet pounding on the corrugated steel above him as he ran. Ben skidded to a stop and headed in the opposite direction as he followed the footsteps, once again pushing through the people and ignoring the bystanders who were yelling encouragement or recording him with their phones. When Chad reached the end of the roof, he locked eyes with Ben, who was leaning over the railing on the platform. For a moment they both froze, taking each other’s measure. Then Chad jumped, grabbing the handrail of a nearby fire escape attached to a brick six-story high-rise. Ben heard the metal groan, but it held fast. He watched in amazement as Chad clung desperately to the metal railing and, after taking a breath, finally pulled himself up on the metal landing. The fugitive glanced down but must have decided not to chance jumping down twenty feet to the ground below. Instead, he started climbing while some of the rowdier bystanders cheered him on and recorded him with their phones.
Ben hit the handrail in frustration as he watched Chad try the windows on the landing. They were locked, but instead of trying to break one, he turned and headed up the metal staircase to the next level. Ben hadn’t wanted the man to fall and get hurt, but Chad was doing an admirable job of evading him, and he was no longer sure he had a chance to stop him from escaping. He looked behind him and took in his surroundings once again, but he knew instinctively that if he took the time to go back down the stairs, there was no way he could catch Chad. The man simply had too much of a head start. He also doubted he could manage the same jump Chad had just successfully completed to the fire escape. From where he was standing, it was just too far away. He said a short prayer for safety, then swung his leg over the rail and started climbing down the side of the platform. There was a roof to the lower level about five feet below him, and he started swinging himself like a trapeze artist, hoping he wouldn’t end up on the ground with a broken leg. His muscles strained, but he was instantly glad that he had worked so hard on his upper body strength. He was a big guy, and all of those chin-ups and pull-ups where he’d had to lift his entire body weight with his arms were paying off. He let the momentum carry him, and he let go at just the right time so he landed squarely on the roof of the substation below. He caught his balance and steadied himself, then ran a few steps and repeated the process, dropping himself down to the ground. A few moments later, he had pulled the fire escape ladder down and was climbing up after Chad.
The old brick building was six stories high, and he could still see Chad ascending above him. It looked like he was on the fifth floor, but it was hard to tell for sure. At least he was still on the fire escape and hadn’t entered the building. Ben took the metal stairs two at a time, and made it to the fourth floor just in time to see Chad’s legs disappearing over the edge of the roof.
Adrenaline surged as he continued the chase. His heart was pumping as he grabbed the handrail and swung up to the next level, again jumping the stairs as quickly as he could. He had to catch this guy. Jordan was counting on him. He couldn’t take a chance that Chad would disappear without them learning everything he knew, if anything, about Southeastern and Mintax. He pushed himself harder until he made it to the roof, then bent over for a moment with his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. Quickly he straightened, his eyes darting around, looking for any sign of Chad. He arrived just in time to see the barista take a running start and jump right off the roof. Had the man just committed suicide to avoid being confronted? A cold sweat swept over Ben, despite the heat from the Jacksonville sun.
“No!” he yelled, making it across the roof in record time. He hit the edge of the concrete barrier and frantically looked below, afraid he was going to see Chad’s broken body on the concrete. Instead, he saw Chad picking himself up off the roof of a nearby building, brushing the pebbles from his hands. Chad looked frantically behind him, and once again, their eyes met.
The buildings were about eight feet apart, and the building where Chad had landed was one floor lower than where Ben stood. Unlike the fire escape maneuver, this was a jump Ben was confident he could make. He took several steps back, then got a running start and jumped after Chad. The younger man had anticipated what Ben was going to do and had already started running away from him. As Ben landed and skidded on the rocks, Chad sprinted toward the door on the roof, pulled on the knob and disappeared as the door closed slowly behind him.
Ben steadied himself and continued the chase, heading for the stairwell. He threw the door open and followed Chad down the stairs. He could hear the man below, his feet pounding against the steps, and as he turned to the next landing, he caught a glimpse of Chad’s brown apron. The next thing he heard was the door below opening and closing as the barista left the building. Ben’s heart was beating like a bass drum as he made it to the bottom and pushed through the door, continuing the chase. He caught a glimpse of his target about thirty feet away, took a deep breath and raced after him into a nearby park.
An older couple was walking arm in arm down the sidewalk that ran through the middle of the park, and Ben was instantly thankful that Chad took the time to go around them instead of plowing into them and causing serious damage. The man might have been frantic and scared, but he hadn’t forgotten his humanity during the chase. A large leashed dog barked at the fleeing man, and Chad carefully avoided the animal and owner as well, all of which cost him precious time. He glanced behind him, and his eyes grew large as he saw how close Ben was to catching him. He tried to speed up, but he was breathing hard and struggling, apparently not used to all of the physical exertion the chase was causing.
Ben caught him in a flying tackle and brought him to the ground on the last patch of grass available before they reached the concrete street that bordered the park. Chad struggled, trying to free himself, but he was no match for Ben, who had wrestled in both high school and college and knew exactly how to pin a man down. With just a few quick moves, Ben had the barista’s arms trapped and pinned tightly against his head. He cuffed him, even as the man struggled to catch his breath after the wind had been knocked out of him when he’d hit the ground. Ben hadn’t wanted to arrest the man, only ask him some questions, but now he had to make sure Samantha’s son wasn’t going to strike out or disappear again before they discovered what he knew about Southeastern. Fleeing was almost always a sign of guilt. Was Chad guilty of something beyond working under the table with a false name and trying to survive?
“You can’t arrest me!” Chad spat, his motions desperate as he jerked against the cuffs. “I haven’t broken any laws. And you know as well as I do that if Southeastern finds me, they’ll kill me.”
Ben led him over to a nearby bench and forced him to sit. Chad did so awkwardly, his hands secured behind him. The professional well-groomed man they had first encountered had disappeared, and a frantic, desperate man was now in his place. If Ben remembered correctly, Chad recently graduated with a business degree from the University of North Florida, right here in Jacksonville. This was a smart, capable man before him, but the look on his face was haunted and gaunt, and the anger was evident, as well as the fear that was stretched across his features.
“Last I heard, using a false social security number was frowned upon. But that’s not why we’re here. It is interesting that you would run at the mere mention of Southeastern. We need to have a conversation.” Ben fisted his hands on his hips. “We just want to talk.”
“We?” Chad said, looking around suspiciously. “All I see is you.”
Ben looked around for a moment, then motioned toward Jordan once he spotted her running toward them. He was relieved that she had been able to figure out where they had ended up, despite the chase. He noted that she had stopped to calm the older couple for a moment before heading in their direction. The pair seemed very disturbed by the flying tackle and arrest they had just seen, but with a smile and a pat on the lady’s back, Jordan was able to send them on their way. She also waved at the dog owner and assured the other onlookers that all was well and they should go on about their business. By the time she reached Ben’s side, most of the audience had already dispersed.
He took a moment and really looked at Jordan. Her face was flushed from her own exertion, but in his mind, she had never looked lovelier. She was wearing khaki slacks and a navy blouse that delightfully accentuated her curves. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes were shining, and he could see that for the first time in quite a while she was feeling safe and had hope for the future. An ache filled his heart as he yearned for the past. They had been so happy before she had disappeared. They’d spent hours planning their future, laughing on the beach, and just enjoying each other’s company. Could he ever regain that trust and love that had been so strong between them, or was their relationship permanently broken? Ever since her return, his mind had gone back and forth, considering the possibilities. At this point, he wasn’t sure what he wanted. He loved her and always would, but could he trust her? He asked God for guidance, then quickly tamped down his roaming thoughts and focused on the job in front of him. Now wasn’t the time to start sorting through his feelings about Jordan.
Jordan smiled at Ben, a look of relief evident across her features, and he was instantly glad that she couldn’t read his thoughts. She lightly touched his shoulder, unaware of the turmoil raging in his core. “Wow! I don’t know how you did it, but I’m so glad you got him. For a minute there, I thought I was watching some crazy new show like The Ninja Warriors Live from Jacksonville.” Ben glanced away to hide the pleasure he felt at her compliment. He took a step back, letting Jordan take the lead with questioning Chad. He knew instinctively that she would get more out of him with her questions that he would. He had to admit, they made a pretty good team.
* * *
Jordan turned to Chad and raised an eyebrow. “Are you okay?”
Chad glared at her, so she just pushed on. “Look, Chad, I’m sorry we had to chase you down like this, but we really needed to talk to you. I’m Jordan Kendrick. I used to work with your mother at Southeastern, and I’ve been looking for you for a long time.” She pointed at Ben. “This is Ben Graham, and he’s a deputy with the Sheriff’s Office, like he said earlier. He’s helping me investigate Southeastern and a drug we were working on called Mintax. We’re not trying to hurt you, and we’re not going to tell Southeastern or anybody else where we found you. We understand more than most how dangerous Southeastern can be. We just need answers so we can stop them before they hurt somebody else. Can we go somewhere and talk?”
Chad shook his head vigorously. “I don’t want to talk to you, and I can’t talk about them. If I do, they’ll kill me just like they killed my mom.”
Jordan took a step forward, adding as much conviction as she could to her voice. “Chad, this is your chance to get justice.” Somehow, she had to convince him to talk to them. Samantha’s son could have the key to solving this entire case.
He looked Jordan in the eye. “My mother mentioned you. I thought you were dead, too. I heard something about a boating accident. You know they killed Sparks, right?”
“We know he’s dead,” Ben confirmed. “As well as his wife. His death was initially ruled an accident, but we’re reinvestigating the deaths of both your mom and Mr. Sparks to find out for sure what really happened.”
“Please talk to us,” Jordan pleaded. “We can’t let them get away with what they’re doing. You’re one of the few people who might really know what happened.”
“I can’t,” Chad repeated, his tone frantic. “If I do, they’ll kill me for sure. Why do you think I was hiding my true identity?” He tried to stand, but Ben pushed him back down with a hand on his shoulder.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he said quietly, but with authority in his voice. “Not until we get some answers.”
TEN
Thirty minutes later, the three of them were back in the coffee shop, meeting in the manager’s office, the door closed for privacy. Chad’s handcuffs had been removed, but he still hadn’t agreed to talk to them. He sat in the corner, pressed against the wall, and Jordan was sure that if it were possible, he would have found a way to melt into the Sheetrock. There was no way for him to look more uncomfortable.
Even so, Jordan had done all she could to smooth things over with the coffee shop manager after Chad’s flight from the store. She had explained to the lady that Chad was helping them with an important case, but that he had unfortunately mistaken them for people that were trying to hurt him. She’d also given the manager a hundred dollars to help cover the cost of the ruined pastries that had hit the floor during the chase. The manager had taken one look at Ben’s badge and offered them the office to use with no questions asked, and also promised to keep the day’s events private. She had even promised that Chad’s flight and the mess he’d made in the back wouldn’t affect his job.
This news, however, had done little to change Chad’s mind about talking to them. Jordan softened her voice and continued in her quest to persuade him to help. “Look, Chad, I know you’re scared, but we’ve reached an impasse and we need your help.” She grasped his arm and squeezed it, but he quickly pulled it away from her. “I need your help.” She sat back, hoping he would raise his head and look her in the eye. He didn’t respond, but she pushed forward anyway, trying a different tact. “Did you know your mom kept a picture of you on her desk?” She waited, and eventually he glanced up at her.
“Yeah.”
Jordan pressed on. “She was really proud of you. And when you graduated from UNF, you would have thought that the powers that be had declared it a national holiday. She went around the whole office passing out UNF stickers and cupcakes to everyone she came across in the lab. It was a really big day for her.” She leaned in. “Did you know she did that?”
Chad shook his head, still maintaining his silence.
“She told me once that you were the best thing that ever happened to her. She was hoping you were going to go for your master’s degree, but if not, that was okay, too. She was always saying you were smart and talented and would succeed at anything you tried.” Jordan shifted, letting those words hang there for a moment. “I think the same thing you do. I think someone at Southeastern had her killed because she knew too much about a drug they were developing called Mintax. Your mom and I worked very closely together at the lab. I know she had collected data about Mintax, and right now, we need to find anything we can that proves what the drug can do and how it hurt people during the trials. We don’t have access to Southeastern’s computers yet, but we do know they tried to destroy everything they could about Mintax and the drug trials. We’re hoping your mom might have held on to something that shows the details about the drug’s development. We’re grasping at straws here, but Southeastern has to be stopped before they hurt anybody else.” Her voice was firm, but she still kept her tone low and soothing. “And, they need to be held responsible for killing your mom.”
