QR Code Killer (14 page)

“Most of the guys in my department. A few of
the other cops that know me. No big deal.”

“I’m thinking it is a big deal. If I were a
betting man, I’d wager that name came with a price. Something you
had to dig in and prove.”

“Maybe,” Maddie said, burying her head
against Erik’s chest.

“Then it’s a name you should be proud of -
Mad Dog.” Erik looked at her with a teasing grin and Maddie’s heart
melted.

“For a simple farmer, you do know you are
terribly observant and perceptive, don’t you?”

Erik didn’t respond, just continued holding
her.

Releasing a sigh, Maddie decided she might as
well tell him the truth. “It doesn’t sound quite as appealing
coming from you. I much prefer you call me Maddie, or even
Madelyn.”

“Why is that?” Erik asked, knowing the
answer, but wanting her to admit it.

“Because Mad Dog is a tough cop who takes
charge and gets things done. Madelyn is just a woman on a farm who
likes the hired man entirely too much.”

“Too much?” Erik said, pulling back. “What’s
that mean? How can you like someone too much? I don’t think…”

“I think you’re talking too much,” Maddie
said, pulling his head down for a lingering kiss.

When the kiss ended, Maddie took Erik’s hand
and they walked back to the house. “Have a good morning, Farmer
Man. See you for lunch.”

“You bet, Madelyn,” Erik said with a
wink.

Maddie waited all morning for news from Tom.
When he finally called just before noon, she was nearly beside
herself.

“That which you questioned, has been
compromised. I did some more checking. You need to find your farmer
friend right now. Give me a call when you have him in your
sights.”

“Right, Tom. I’m on it.”

Maddie went racing out of the house without a
word to Lena, jumped on the four-wheeler and went to the field
where she knew Erik was cutting hay. Watching her approach, Erik
shut off the machine and was waiting for her when she pulled
up.

Maddie jumped off the four-wheeler and ran to
Erik. “Tom just called. My phone has been compromised. He told me
to find you then call him back, so I’m guessing your phone hasn’t
been, yet. Can I borrow it?”

“Absolutely,” Erik started to dig his phone
out of his pocket.

“Wait,” Maddie whispered. “If Zeus is
watching he’ll know something is up if you just hand over your
phone and I make the call. We’ve got to make this look good. I’m
going to start yelling at you, you yell back, and then I’m going to
wave my phone in your face. You get yours out and wave it around
then I’m going to give you a shove. When I do, we’ll switch phones.
Okay?”

“Okay. But I think you should know I nearly
flunked drama class in high school. I am no good at play acting,”
Erik said, determined to do his best, but not completely certain
his best would be good enough.

“Don’t worry about it,” Maddie said, taking a
step back from him. “Just follow my lead and remember nothing I am
going to say is true.”

Suddenly, Maddie’s countenance changed, she
charged at Erik yelling. “You, Mr. Farmer Man, are about as dense
as they come. Did you think I wouldn’t find out about your
girlfriend? You are a worthless, scum-sucking, two-timing snake.
I’ve never met anyone so dishonest and fake. How dare you think you
can toy with my affections and lead me on just because I’m the
boss’s daughter!”

Taking his cue from her, Erik held his breath
until his face turned red then bent over until he was in her face
to start hollering. “Who are you calling a two-timing snake, miss
can’t decide who she wants to date? You flirt with cowboy Dan until
I want to punch him in the face, then you make him jealous kissing
me. Yeah, that’s right. We’re both on to your little game. Talk
about fake and dishonest, you take the cake, darlin’.”

“Is that so?” Maddie said, shaking her phone
in his face. “Well I’m done with you. I’m even deleting your number
out of my cell phone, so there.”

“Two can play that game,” Erik said, whipping
out his phone and waving it under her nose.

“You… you... arrogant backwoods farmer,”
Maddie said, grabbing the hand holding his phone and quickly
switching them while she gave him a huge shove. Erik stumbled
backwards, but caught himself before falling. Maddie turned and ran
to the four-wheeler, jumped on and took off with Erik watching her
go.

She didn’t know how he could have possibly
flunked drama class. Erik had just pulled off a first-class
performance. Hurrying back to the house Maddie ran inside, past
Lena, and down to the basement where she sat in a secluded corner
and called Tom.

“I’m on Erik’s phone. Tell me what you’ve
got,” Maddie said, anxious to hear what Tom had dug up.

“Diagnostics checked your number. There is a
program on your phone that allows a third party to listen to your
calls. Of course, information on that third party is scrambled, but
we’re working to decode it. I’m guessing your house phone is tapped
to go along with the bugs. They are still working on checking
Danny’s phone and Zach’s. Erik’s came up clean, which is why I told
you to go get his. If Zeus has been listening to your calls, then
he knows you know the house is bugged. He also knows that we have
the IP address.”

“What did you find out from the library?”
Maddie asked, frustrated.

“We took the sketch of Zeus, which no one
recognized. We asked about an old man and that got us nowhere. They
did say a guy about six-feet tall and well-built comes in wearing a
hoodie and uses the computer fairly regularly. The name on his
library card is Jude Johnson. We are tracking him down right
now.”

“What about the area? Are there apartments
nearby or a business he could use as a false front?”

“I’ve got the team looking, Maddie. We’re
getting closer. I can feel it.”

“I know, Tom, and it is about time. I’m
afraid of what he will do if we don’t catch him soon.”

“Just keep tough, Maddie, and don’t let your
guard down, even for a minute,” Tom said, his voice sounding
authoritative. “I’ll let you know as soon as I find out anything.
In the meantime, if you can run into town and get a new phone
without being detected, I’d highly advise it then give me a call
with the number.”

“I’ll run in right after lunch. Oh, and
Tom?”

“Yes?”

“Just on a hunch, see if there are any
buildings or businesses, even streets in Bellevue with mythological
names. Zeus fancies himself the king of the gods, so it would make
sense for him to be affiliated with something mythological.”

“Good idea, Maddie. We’ll check it out.”

Maddie disconnected the call, stuck Erik’s
phone in her pocket and went back to the kitchen where Lena was
just finishing up lunch preparations.

Leaning over toward Maddie, she whispered,
“What was that about?”

“Can’t tell you now. Talk later,” Maddie
whispered back, then helped set the food on the table. They were
just pouring tea in the glasses when the men came in and washed
up.

Erik eyed Maddie a few times, and she smiled
at him. He seemed a little wary, but she hoped he realized what a
great help he was earlier. When the guys got up to leave after
lunch, Maddie stood close to Erik and switched back phones with
him. Dragging him to the office, which she thought was safe, she
whispered her thanks.

“You did great, Erik. Thank you. And I hope
you know I didn’t mean a word I said.”

Erik folded his arms around her and kissed
the top of her head. “I know you didn’t. I hope my poor acting was
a help, though.”

“A huge help. I’m going to run into town and
pick up a new phone then I’ll be back. Ask Danny to keep an eye on
the house while I’m gone please?”

“Sure, Maddie.”

Erik gave her a quick kiss then walked
outside and back to his work.

Maddie was just coming through the kitchen
when she saw her dad lingering over another glass of tea at the
table.

“What’s up, Pop?” Maddie asked, sitting down
beside him. Although she’d been home for weeks, she hadn’t really
spent much time visiting with him one-on-one.

“Not much, cupcake. Just wanted a minute to
talk to you. Want to walk me back to the four-wheeler?”

Maddie nodded her head and preceded her dad
out the door.

“Maddie, I know this has been hard on you and
you blame yourself for bringing this particular case right to our
door, but don’t. You are an amazing cop and a fine woman and I’m
real proud to have you as my daughter.”

“Aw, Pop,” Maddie said, standing on tip-toe
to give her dad a hug and a kiss on his weathered cheek. “You’re
going to make my mascara run.”

Ethan laughed and gave Maddie a warm hug. “I
love you, cupcake. No matter what happens, I love you. So don’t
forget it.”

“I won’t, Pop. I love you, too.”

When Ethan drove off on the four-wheeler,
Maddie took Zach’s pickup to town and parked on Main Street. There
were several cell phone dealers downtown. She just needed to figure
out a way to get in one unseen.

Casually strolling down the street and
stopping to look in a few store windows, Maddie finally entered a
store she knew had an alley entrance. Browsing her way through the
store, she was quickly at the back door, down the alley and in rear
entrance of one of the cell phone stores. It took no time for her
to have a new phone in her hand and she hurriedly retraced her
steps. She stopped in the store she originally entered, picked out
a little gift for Aunt Lena, paid for it and then walked back out
the store’s front entry, sauntering over to the pickup.

Driving to John’s office, she found him at
his desk on the phone and he motioned her in. Taking a seat, she
waited for him finish the call then filled him in on the latest
developments of the case. Before leaving his office, she placed a
call to Tom on the new phone, knowing the sheriff’s office was one
of the few places she could count on not being bugged.

Arriving home, she felt her old phone vibrate
in her pocket. Taking it out, she didn’t recognize the number, but
answered anyway.

“Maddie, dear, I’ve warned you before not to
start digging for information,” Zeus’s voice came across the line.
She still couldn’t place the accent, but she certainly recognized
the voice. It taunted her at night in her worst nightmares. “You
know what happens when you do, Maddie, dear. No more warnings. I
hope you told your daddy goodbye after lunch today.”

Before Maddie could say a word, the call
disconnected. Racing into the kitchen, Maddie yelled at Lena to
call John and tell him it was an emergency. Dialing in Tom’s number
on her old cell phone as she took the stairs at a run, she asked
him to trace the last call info because it was Zeus.

“Tom, he’s going after Dad. I hope I’m not
too late.”

“Take Danny with you, Maddie. Don’t face him
alone.”

“I won’t,” Maddie said, disconnecting the
call as she pulled the Glock out of her nightstand. She always
carried small gun in her pocket, but she needed to have the Glock
in her hand when she took down Zeus.

Lena caught up with her mid-way down the
stairs. “Did you call John?”

“He’s on his way,” Lena said, following
Maddie as she ran into the kitchen.

“Lock the doors and windows and go down to
the basement and stay there. I mean it Lena. Stay there until one
of us comes to get you.”

“Okay, Maddie. Be careful.”

“I will. Love you, Lena.”

“Love you, too, kiddo.”

Maddie sprinted across the yard to Zach’s
pickup, screaming for Danny as she ran. He raced out of the shop
and jumped in the pickup. Maddie tore out to the field where she
knew her Dad was baling and Zach was stacking hay. Maddie explained
the phone call from Zeus as she drove.

The stacker was nowhere to be seen, but the
tractor and baler sat at the far corner of the field, unmoving.
Chills raced up Maddie’s spine and a cold sweat broke out on her
forehead.

“We’re too late, Danny,” Maddie said, her
hands clenching the steering wheel as she drove right through the
windrows of cut hay. “I just know it. We’re too late.”

“Maybe your Dad broke down. Don’t jump to
conclusions, yet.” Danny hoped and prayed that was all that was
wrong. His gut told him otherwise.

Pulling up next to the tractor, it and the
baler were both running. “Maddie, stay here, please. Let me check
things out.”

“No, Danny, I’ve got to see.” Maddie said,
grasping the door handle.

“Please, Maddie, just let me take a look
first.”

Swallowing, Maddie nodded. She knew what
Danny found was going to pile tinder on the growing fire of her
hate for Zeus. She knew to the very core of her being that the hug
she shared with her dad after lunch would have to last her the rest
of her life.

When Danny didn’t immediately come back, she
finally opened the pickup door, climbed in the tractor and turned
it off, then walked around to the baler. The gruesome sight that
met her made her legs go weak and her breath come in short little
gasps. Struggling to stay upright, she fell to her knees and felt
numb.

It appeared her Dad had been trying to remove
a plug in the baler and got pulled into the machine.

Maddie knew different. Her father’s mangled
body was the direct result of Zeus sending her a very clear
message.

Danny turned and knelt in front of her.
“Don’t look, Maddie. Don’t look. Remember your Dad from lunch
today, joking and laughing. Burn that image in your mind,
Maddie.”

Putting his arms around her, he held Maddie,
blocking her view of the baler. He waited for her to cry, to
scream, to show some emotion. Instead, she just leaned into him,
stiff and silent. He knew she was in shock, but he kept waiting for
her to say or do something.

Before Danny could suggest he help her back
to the pickup, Erik was there, picking her up in his arms, and
holding her close. It was then Maddie turned her head into Erik’s
chest and cried, great wracking sobs that broke both Erik’s and
Danny’s heart.