Justice For The Accused Book Sample
Prologue
The chill of the early morning light filled the air with ice crystals. Floating around the search team as they slowly and cautiously trudged through the January virgin snow, which had fallen overnight. A white fluffy pillow on a grassy field at Standley Lake not far from the main entrance and the Coyote Gulch Campground. A tip sent in the wee hours of the morning that the body of a young girl who’d been missing for ten days could be found there. A grim task the Westminster Police Department had hoped would end the torment of the girl’s parents.
Police Officer and K-9 handler Donnie Steel held tightly to Kogel’s leash, who pulled forward, his nose down in the snow, in search of the girl’s scent. Diligently the Belgium Malinois moved through the landscape, boots to protect his paws from the freezing temperatures. Donnie decked out in full police gear under a heavy jacket, gloves, and boots. The officer was certain if the missing girl was out there, Kogel would find her. Though it wouldn’t be a happy time, for she most likely wouldn’t be alive. A fact they had all resigned themselves to after so much time had passed.
Jamie Weston was twelve years old when she disappeared. She had left for school in the morning, walking by herself, but never showed. The call from the school’s attendance monitor came late in the morning when it was reported she hadn’t arrived at her first two classes. Both parents at work when they received the notice. It wasn’t long before panic set in and a call was made to Westminster PD 911. The parents rushed home to meet with police, giving a statement. An older brother who went to high school and was pulled out of class, interviewed, too. Lots of questions asked, with no clues about what happened to her. No family issues were uncovered to answer why she was missing.
Jamie’s cell phone was called and each time it went to voicemail. The last location, according to the Find My Phone tracking app, being a few blocks from home. The GPS software, no longer updating. Time slowly ticked away, with no clue where she was. The parents, Roberto and Marie, and their son, Tommy, held hands on their leather sofa, wiping away tears, saying prayers, as they feared the worst.
Search teams were formed, an attempt to follow her walking path to school. Dogs from the K-9 unit put to work. Scents taken from her worn clothing. Donnie and Kogel wandered the streets hoping to find where she had walked. A trail which eventually ended near the entrance of a park. The location close to where the GPS software of her phone had last pinged the carrier network. Neighborhood doors knocked on, the hope security cameras might have captured the abduction. Hours of video searched, with nothing forthcoming. It was as if she’d been beamed away without a trace.
One day passed and then another. More interviews with the family, trying to rule them out as suspects, which was necessary and heartbreaking. There was little doubt in the detectives’ minds they weren’t involved, but needed to be certain. Jamie’s computer search histories and social media showed nothing suspicious. No contacts other than with her immediate female friends, all who had been interviewed. No contacts with boys, or men disguised as boys. It was all basic and quite boring. Her parents had always kept an eye on her web-based activity, which she welcomed, for she had nothing to hide. Unless she led a secret life, it was obvious she was a simple twelve-year-old girl who had no desire to do anything beyond her years.
More searches within the surrounding neighborhoods were tried with nothing discovered. News features on TV and in the newspaper had everyone on the lookout for her. A tip line was set up, a reward offered, leading to many calls, which led to nothing but dead ends. Frustration was high for all involved. More days passed and everyone feared the worst. Jamie wasn’t coming home to her beautiful family, their cozy two-story house, and her pink and purple bedroom with its bed filled with fluffy, stuffed animals.
All the Westminster officers took extra shifts round the clock. Hoping to find an elusive clue which would break open the case. Over and over, they studied the evidence. Unfortunately, there was little to pursue. Back and forth they traced the path they believed Jamie had taken. From her house down a few blocks, then right, up a hill of a cul-de-sac, and across a park. It was the same route she took each day. Though in this case, it appeared she never made it past the park. A person or persons, must have been waiting, grabbed her, and drove away.
No one saw anything in the early morning light. No one around who shouldn’t be. No vehicles. Nothing. Which couldn’t be possible because anything out of the ordinary would get spotted. Or at least the detectives thought so. Crime being rare in the neighborhood, maybe residents of this area didn’t watch for suspicious activity. They weren’t curious about strange cars and people lurking about. They left in the morning for work and returned in the evening, holing up inside to watch TV. Or maybe there were those who worked from home who might never leave the confines of their home office or look out the window. Lost in their never-ending job and personal lives.
Then on day ten, in the early morning hours, a message was left on the tip line. An altered voice saying Jamie would be found at Standley Lake, an outdoor recreation area and large reservoir which fed multiple cities including Westminster. No exact location given, only that they needed to start at the Coyote Gulch Campground which was closed for the winter. Officers and volunteers assembled in the bitter cold and spread out to search. Donnie and Kogel led the way. It wasn’t long before Kogel latched on to her scent. His nose buried in several inches of snow, pulling on his leash in the direction of a thick patch of trees where he found her, leaning up against the base of the tree, his eyes fixated as he lay on the ground next to the girl who was covered in a thin layer of snow. Donnie took in the scene, knowing there was no hope, the light of her life vanquished. He knelt beside the K-9, doing his best to hold back tears and shout at the heavens on why the almighty had let this happen to an innocent girl. No explanation forthcoming.
Chapter 1
Through the bug-splattered windshield of the Class A motorhome, the green landscape rolled past at fifty miles per hour on this two-laned state highway. Birch, spruce, and maple trees lined all sides of the road. The patient passenger sitting on the floor between the seats soaking in the beauty of the region. The Belgium Malinois’ first excursion to eastern Minnesota.
Kogel braced himself as the motorhome slowed to make a turn. Encouraging words from the driver telling him after a long journey, they weren’t far from their destination. The sign on the road proclaiming: Steel Lake Cabins and RV Resort was only a mile away. The dog, panting in excitement for the new adventure which awaited him.
The forty-two foot motorhome, with its trailer in tow, slowed even more on the twisting, bumpy, dirt road. A wall of thick trees and bushes, their leaves at the beginning stage of changing colors, hid the beauty of the resort. They passed through a gate and into a clearing. A shimmer of setting sunlight reflected off the water in the distance. The golden, log pole constructed lodge stood tall, inviting guests to check in. The motorhome pulled onto a paved parking area earmarked for RVs. The resort being a home away from home. One the driver had not returned to for many years.
The RV door opened and the fit figure of Donnie Steel appeared. He stopped for a few moments to inhale the humid, refreshing air on this second Sunday of September. A flood of memories from his youth and the time he’d spent here nearly overwhelmed him. He called out to Kogel, who had waited patiently inside for the command to join him. No leash necessary, for the dog followed on his heels, step for step. On the walk to the lodge’s front entrance, Donnie admired the stained wood, looking as if it was built yesterday, even though it had stood for several decades.
Through the front door they strolled to a large seating area, a few guests lounging in the chairs and sofa, watching the massive wall mounted TV. To the side was the check-in counter where a honey-haired, twenty-something woman he didn’t know stood behind it. She smiled as they strolled up.
“You must be Donnie and Kogel,” she declared. “I’m Sandy. I’ll buzz your parents and let them know you’re here. They’ve been busting at the seams about your pending arrival.” After she finished the call, she reached behind the counter and displayed a dog treat. “Is it okay to toss this to Kogel?”
Donnie nodded and the treat was in the air and snatched in the dog’s jowls, when it was loudly chewed and swallowed.
“Wow. That wasn’t my best throw, yet he grabbed it with little effort.”
“When it comes to his mouth and teeth, he never misses. Especially in pursuit of a perp.”
“If I ever decide to commit a crime, I’ll keep it in mind.” She laughed. “How was your drive?”
“Long but uneventful. The air conditioning on high for the entire drive. This humidity is intense compared to Colorado.”
“I don’t even notice it anymore, having lived here all my life. The constant harassment from bugs is another matter.”
Donnie’s parents, grinning with joy, came through the back door and walked toward him. His mother Gayle, was the first to reach him and pulled him into a crushing hug, nearly taking his breath away.
“Good to see you, son.” Since she was barely five feet tall, her tone muffled against his chest.
“Thanks, Mom.” Donnie had a hard time talking. “I think you may have broken a rib or two.”
Gayle pulled back and tapped him on the chest. “I doubt my son’s bones break that easily from an old woman’s hug.”
Donnie reached out a hand to his father and shook it. “Dad.”
“Donnie, your mother is thrilled you’ve come to spend time with us. As am I.”
“We’ve been worried about you,” Gayle added. “We haven’t seen you since the funeral. We know how much you loved Wendi.”
Donnie nodded. His wife of over twenty years had died a few years back from cancer. A painful moment in time. Her loving memory still forever etched in his mind. “I’m making do. Staying busy.”
“It would be nice if you called from time to time.” Gayle shook a shaky finger at Donnie. Her slight tremors due to hyperthyroidism she’d been diagnosed with in her fifties. “All we ever hear about you is from August or through your blog.”
“Sorry, Mom. I had a hectic summer.”
Hectic was certainly true. He’d dealt with a cold case murder in Colorado, taking a beating in the process, eventually tracking down the killer. He hoped August hadn’t shared too many of the gory details, for he didn’t want them to worry. Though it was every parents’ right to worry about their children.
Gayle tapped his chest. “It even required me to lure you out here with the possibility of another cold mystery to solve.”
“It was icing on the cake, Mom.” He put an arm on her shoulder, brushing aside her gray hair, for a quick side hug. “I would have made it to see you both before the nasty Minnesota winter reared its ugly head.”
“Gee, Gayle. The man hasn’t been here a few minutes and you’re already nagging him!”
“Don’t you give me any grief, Jonah. It’s a mother’s right to nag.” She put her head on Donnie’s chest. “Isn’t that right, son?”
Donnie wasn’t about to argue. It was a battle he wouldn’t win. One his father rarely won either, since Gayle had a strong and stubborn personality when the mood struck her. With the exception of Wendi, she was the sweetest, loving and kindest person he’d ever known.
“Okay, you two, break it up.” Jonah chuckled. “We need to get you set up in your RV spot. We gave you the best one on the site. With a huge maple tree to provide shade from our brutal summer heat. At least the nights are cooler!”
“I don’t know why you’re insisting on staying in your motorhome,” Gayle said. “We have a perfectly good room for you to sleep in.”
“I’m more comfortable in the RV, Mom. Kogel, too.”
She looked down at the dog, who was watching everyone. “This is your new best friend? May I pet him?”
Donnie nodded and told Kogel to blife.
Kogel responded to the command, sniffing her hand and letting her pet him. Attention he certainly enjoyed.
“I miss having a dog around.” Gayle gave Jonah a squinted stare.
Even though they’d owned a dog or two in their years together. His father wasn’t a big dog person. Though why had never been completely clear.
“Plenty of room for one to run, if Dad agreed,” Donnie noted.
“Maybe one day, if we found one with the right temperament for the people coming and going from the resort.” He pointed at Kogel and the lack of a tether. “You need to make sure to keep Kogel on a leash. We can’t afford any issues with one of our guests getting bitten.”
“Don’t worry, Dad. Kogel listens to me, and other than traveling with me, will stay inside the motorhome.”
Gayle glared at Jonah. “Now who is the one nagging Donnie?”
Jonah started to protest then stopped and raised his hands in surrender.
With daylight slowly ebbing, Donnie was directed to his RV spot. After about thirty minutes, he was hooked up and plugged in, the slide outs extended, and his motorcycle driven out of the trailer and parked. Thankfully, they had a 50 AMP connection. Both air conditioning units needed to cool the inside.
Once they were done, Donnie and Kogel entered the front door of the expansive single-story home his parents lived in. The log structure, tucked in the background, matched the lodge.
“I’m assuming Grandpa has turned in for the night,” Donnie said.
“Yes.” Jonah threw a thumb over his shoulder. “He’s out back taking it easy in the one-bedroom home we had built for him. By five these days he parks himself in front of the TV watching sports and nods off. Per usual, he’ll be up just after dawn, ready to walk down to his favorite spot and fish.”
“After our morning run, Kogel and I will be sure to find him. What time tomorrow is the lawyer you wanted me to talk with supposed to show?”
“Around ten,” Gayle replied. “Hopefully you can help her client.”
“I’ll do what I can. No guarantees.”
Gayle frowned. “I’m sure you’ll do your best like in Rio Celeste, though hopefully this time it doesn’t turn nasty.”
Donnie sighed. “I’m guessing August filled you in.”
Gayle locked her lips. “I’m sworn to secrecy.”
Donnie laughed, for he knew there weren’t a lot of secrets in his family.