The TANNER Series - Books 13-15 (Tanner Box Set) Read online

  The kid was faster than Tanner, but was losing steam after the second mile. He was also forced to jump over hedges and climb fences while trying to hold on to the purse. By the time he reached the third wooden fence, Tanner was on him.

  Tanner grabbed the kid by his long hair and yanked back hard. He didn’t know if it hurt the kid or not, but it sent a twinge of pain through the tendons of his own neck, which had suffered a recent injury.

  The pain was minor, and Tanner soon had the kid down on the grass. When the kid popped up, breathing hard, and waving a knife, Tanner kicked him on the chin.

  The tough kid took it in stride and kept hold of the knife. Tanner faked a move to the left, went right, reached out and gripped the wrist and forearm connected to the hand brandishing the blade.

  A vicious strike with his knee broke two bones in the wrist, and the punk dropped the knife while howling in pain.

  Tanner was guiding the kid back out to the street when he saw the flashing lights of a patrol car off in the distance. Beyond the police car, he could see Alexa driving towards him in the jeep.

  Tanner removed the holster containing his pistol and tossed it into a clump of bushes without the kid seeing him do it. The gun fell out of sight just before the cop screeched his patrol car to a stop at the curb.

  The cop wasn’t just any cop, but was the town’s Chief of Police, John Ellison. Ellison was a Black man in his forties who was not new to the town. Ellison had been a cop in Killburry for over twenty years.

  Tanner had seen him once or twice while eating at the diner and recognized him on sight.

  Tanner raised his hands in the air to show that they were empty, as the punk sat nearby cradling his broken wrist. As the chief exited his car with his gun drawn, but pointing downward, Tanner used his head to indicate the punk.

  “He snatched that purse that’s on the ground over there. I caught him.”

  Another cop car arrived from the other direction and was being driven by a White deputy. He was a muscular man with curly brown hair. He stepped out of his patrol car with his gun up and pointed at Tanner. The chief gave a hand signal that told the deputy to lower his weapon, and then he spoke to Tanner.

  “Keep your hands up and turn around,” Chief Ellison said.

  Tanner did so, revealing that he had no weapon secured in his waistband. Then, the chief noticed Alexa getting out of the jeep.

  “Stay back, young lady.”

  “He’s my boyfriend.”

  “Understood, but I still need you to stay back, all right?”

  “Yes, Officer.”

  “It’s actually, Chief, but whatever.”

  The punk shot to his feet intending to rabbit away. Tanner kicked him in the back of the knee, causing him to fall down. By reflex, the kid put out his hands to break his fall and landed on his already broken wrist. The scream that followed was ear-splitting, and all thoughts of fleeing the scene left the punk’s mind as he writhed on the grass in agony.

  “Enough!” Ellison said, as he walked over. After frisking Tanner and checking his ID, the chief looked him up and down, while his deputy saw to the punk.

  Ellison’s gaze was meant to be intimidating, but Tanner just sent him a smile.

  “There’s no need to thank me, Chief. I was just being a good citizen.”

  “Is that so? The way I see it, you were acting like a vigilante. There’s been a lot of that around here lately. I think we need to talk.”

  “Am I under arrest?”

  “We’ll see, Mr. Myers. Now, do I have to cuff you, or will you come down to the station on your own?”

  “I have nothing to hide, Chief,” Tanner said, then wondered if he had ever told a bigger lie in his life.

  CHAPTER 3 – L.A. woman

  In another small town just outside of Los Angeles, Sara Blake stepped out of her rented car in the wide circular driveway of the home where her mother had grown up.

  The large white house was far from new, but had been maintained. It sat on a bucolic piece of property that had a stream running behind it and no neighbors within a mile.

  Sara smiled as the front door opened and she was greeted by her Aunt Grace.

  Sara’s Aunt Grace was the younger sister of Sara’s mother. Grace Taylor was in her fifties, and resembled her niece a great deal. Grace had lost her partner Ramona to cancer just a year earlier, and had moved back home to take care of Sara’s grandmother, Margie Taylor, who was quite old, and becoming... forgetful.

  After shutting the front door, Aunt Grace gave Sara a hug and then grinned at her niece.

  “Oh look at you, Sara. You’re beautiful, and I’m so damn glad you’ve come to visit us. I know Mom will be thrilled to see you.”

  “How is Grandma?” Sara asked.

  “The old girl is losing her marbles,” a man’s voice said, and when Sara looked at the entryway to the living room, she saw her Uncle Gary. Gary Taylor was in his sixties, a professional gambler and the black sheep of the family on her mother’s side. He was slim, had a gray beard, and had been divorced four times.

  He was also one of Sara’s favorite people in the world.

  “Uncle Gary, it’s been years since I’ve seen you. How have you been?”

  “I’m good Little Girl, although I guess I can’t call you that anymore, can I?”

  Sara left her aunt to give her uncle a hug.

  “You can call me anything you want. It’s so good to see you again. Are you living here now?”

  “For a while, but there’s a poker tournament in Vegas next month that I’ll be playing in.”

  Sara smiled.

  “I saw you play on TV last year, and you won big.”

  Gary grinned back at her.

  “Yeah, I do all right for a high school dropout.”

  Grace walked over and slapped Gary on the arm.

  “Mom is not ‘losing her marbles’ as you said, she’s just forgetful, and she thinks about the old days a lot, that’s all.”

  “Relax Sis; I was just joking around.”

  Grace took Sara by the arm.

  “I’m putting you in your mother’s old room. You’ll like it, you can look down on the yard from there.”

  “Thank you, Aunt Grace, unfortunately I can’t stay long. I’m working while I’m in the area and I have to go check in, but I’ll be back in time for dinner.”

  “That’s right, I heard that you weren’t with the FBI anymore,” Gary said. “Good for you, girl. You’ll make more money out of government, that’s for sure. What kind of work are you doing now?”

  “I’m a troubleshooter for The Burke Corporation, Uncle Gary, and Burke’s L.A. office has a problem I need to solve.”

  “Hmm, that sounds interesting, and you get to travel a lot I guess. I bet you know some interesting people, don’t you?”

  Sara smiled as she thought of Tanner.

  “Interesting would be an understatement.”

  ***

  Sara arrived at Burke L.A. a short time later and was sent up to the office of Senior Vice-President Arthur Quale.

  After stepping off the elevator on the top floor, Sara entered a glass-walled outer reception area that was much like the one at Burke’s Corporate Campus in Connecticut. Sara was escorted into Quale’s office by a young female assistant and introduced to Arthur Quale.

  Quale ran the L.A. office. He was in his sixties, distinguished looking, and had an air about him that told you he didn’t take kindly to foolishness.

  After Sara had settled in a chair before his desk, Quale got right to the point.

  “We have a corporate spy in our midst and we need you to ferret her out. Conrad Burke assured me that you were good at what you do, and so I want results, and I expect them quickly.”

  “And you’ll get results, but first, I need to know what was taken, when it was taken, and who in the company would have access and opportunity to do the taking. Do you have a female suspect in mind? You asked me to ferret ‘her’ out.”

  “Yes, I
suspect Amanda Zwicky, our new security chief. She’s only been here a short time. Besides myself and the other executives, she’s the only one who has the combinations to the safes.”

  Quale filled Sara in, telling her that several computer files had been accessed over the last few months without authorization. The thefts had gone undetected until a new security chief, Amanda Zwicky, had been hired and discovered the thief’s electronic tracks.

  Several of the illegally accessed files concerned improvements in the weapon systems that the Burke Corporation manufactured. If the government lost faith in Burke’s ability to safeguard their information, it could cost the company billions in defense department contracts.

  “I’m confused,” Sara said. “If Miss Zwicky is new to the company and was the one who uncovered the discrepancies, why do you suspect her?”

  “I think it’s all smoke and mirrors and that the dates and times of the thefts were backdated to cover her tracks. I didn’t hire her, Conrad Burke foisted her on me. She’s an ex-employee of the Hexalcorp Corporation, our biggest rival, and I don’t trust her.”

  “Have you confronted her?”

  Quale’s face morphed into a sour look.

  “I did, and with the company lawyers present. She threatened to sue me for defamation of character if I repeated my accusations to anyone else, so I would appreciate your discretion.”

  “Is there any proof pointing towards her guilt?”

  “No, but an earlier investigator discovered that Miss Zwicky lives in the Hollywood Hills. I can’t even afford to live there, how can she?”

  Sara stood.

  “I’ll go have a talk with Amanda Zwicky.”

  “Frankly, Miss Blake, I’m surprised that Conrad Burke sent only one person to handle this problem.”

  “Mr. Burke has faith in me, Mr. Quale, and so can you.”

  “Excellent, I’ll have my assistant show you to the office you’ll be using, and she’ll also set you up with whatever you need.”

  “Yes sir, and I’ll give you a daily report of my progress.”

  Quale steepled his fingers atop the edge of his desk.

  “Miss Blake, I don’t want daily reports. The next time we meet I want you to tell me who the corporate spy is, understood?”

  “Yes, but expect to hear from me soon.”

  “I like your confidence, young lady.”

  “Thank you,” Sara said, although she had no clue how she was going to catch the spy. She only knew that she would.

  ***

  Quale’s assistant was a woman named Rebecca Holloway. Holloway was about Sara’s age, wore glasses, and was dressed conservatively. She had a pretty face and kept her long blond hair tied up in a prim bun at the back of her head.

  Sara’s temporary office consisted of a desk, a phone, a computer, and an empty file cabinet. Sara didn’t care about the lack of décor, she wanted to get back to Connecticut as soon as she could, just in case Tanner decided to take an assignment earlier than planned.

  “Is there anything else I can help you with, Miss Blake?” Holloway asked.

  “I would like to speak with your head of security.”

  “Should I have her come here?”

  “No, I’ll go to her. Where is the security office located?”

  “It’s on the ground floor, just past the cafeteria. I’ll let them know that you’re coming down.”

  “Do that, and what is the name of the security chief?”

  “Amanda Zwicky, and she’s a very nice woman. I hope you can help find the security leak; I think Mr. Quale is on the verge of firing her.”

  “I’ll do what I can, thank you.”

  Sara left her office soon after Holloway returned to her glass-walled reception area. Holloway sent Sara a wave and began looking through a filing cabinet.

  Sara pressed the call button on the elevator pad, but instead of taking the elevator down, she decided to use the bathroom across the hall from it.

  From inside the bathroom, she heard the elevator’s arrival, which was soon followed by the arrival of a second elevator. As she stepped out of the bathroom a few moments later, she looked to her right. Quale’s assistant, Rebecca Holloway, was visible behind the glass wall where her desk sat. Holloway wasn’t behind her desk; she was locked in a passionate embrace with a security guard.

  The guard was a tall blond man, but Sara couldn’t see his face. Wanting to remain unnoticed, Sara skipped the elevator and headed for the stairwell instead.

  When an idea occurred to her, she left the stairs and took the elevator back up to the top floor.

  When the elevator chimed, she stepped off, and this time Rebecca Holloway and the young guard appeared business-like and polite towards each other, as she handed the handsome young man a stack of file folders.

  Holloway poked her head out into the hall.

  “Is something wrong, Miss Blake?”

  “No, and I’ll only be a moment; I left my phone behind.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  Sara entered her office, removed her phone from her purse, and then stepped back into the hallway. The young guard was standing by the elevator. He sent Sara a smile as she approached.

  “Hello, Miss Blake? I’m Seth Exley. I can escort you down to the security office and introduce you to Mandy.”

  “Mandy? I see that Miss Zwicky keeps things casual.”

  Exley laughed.

  “Oh no, don’t get the wrong idea, Amanda is all business on the job, it’s just that I’m her boyfriend, and I call her Mandy. I guess I should be more formal while I’m working, but don’t hold it against her.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t. By the way, have you and Miss Zwicky been dating very long?”

  “No, but she’s the only woman for me.”

  “Isn’t she lucky,” Sara said, while wondering if the love triangle she’d uncovered had anything to do with why she was there.

  CHAPTER 4 – Mexico or bust

  Tanner was beginning to suspect that Killburry wasn’t the quiet little town that it appeared to be on its surface.

  The chief had sat with him in a small interrogation room inside the police station, and asked several questions about recent incidents of assault. The crimes involved violence against child molesters, drunk drivers, and wife beaters.

  Chief Ellison had learned about the incidents in an anonymous letter, because the victims had been warned not to report the assaults, or else. A few of the victims left town after the beatings. They were the child molesters, who were warned that they would be killed if they stayed.

  Intrigued, Tanner had skillfully led the chief into thinking that he might be involved, and was certain that Chief Ellison suspected that the neighborhood watch group in his cul-de-sac was behind the vigilantism.

  When the questioning took a more threatening tone and Chief Ellison began talking about placing him under arrest, Tanner then let it be known that although he lived in a home near the members of the neighborhood watch group, he was in fact, a recent resident.

  Every incident had taken place prior to Tanner’s move to town. As soon as the chief realized that Tanner was a new resident, his tone changed and he apologized for detaining him.

  “You know, Mr. Myers, you could have told me sooner that you were new to Killburry.”

  “I could have, but then I wouldn’t know what was going on.”

  Chief Ellison squinted at him.

  “Were you ever a cop or a prison guard?”

  “No, why do you ask?”

  “You handled that kid Dexter like it was no big deal, and you’re in shape too.”

  “I’ve never been a cop.”

  “Are you ex-military?”

  “No, Chief.”

  “What is you do for a living, Mr. Myers?”

  “I’m a freelance researcher, and I guess I’m naturally inquisitive.”

  “Uh-huh, but here’s the thing, I don’t want you saying anything to those neighbors of yours. If they are acting as vigilantes as I
suspect, then I wouldn’t want to tip them off, understood?”

  “Yeah, and I won’t say a thing. But I think you have the wrong group in your sights. Those men seem harmless to me.”

  The chief shook his head.

  “Certain evidence says otherwise, and Mr. Myers, I apologize for keeping you here so long.”

  “No harm done, Chief, but I guess this town isn’t as Mayberry as I thought it was.”

  The chief smiled.

  “Mayberry, huh? Yeah, I guess it is nowadays. But whether or not it’s your neighbors committing the assaults, there is a group of citizens who seem intent on taking the law into their own hands.”

  “They must be discreet. My girlfriend checked this town out before we moved here and said that crime was nearly non-existent.”

  “It is, and again Mr. Myers, I apologize for detaining you. In the old days of the town, I would have known you were a new resident. Nowadays however, Killburry has so many new residents that it’s difficult for me to keep up with them all.”

  Tanner sent the chief a nod. It seemed like the man had said all that he wanted to, and definitely more than he’d intended.

  Other then the few offices and interrogation rooms that were down a corridor at the rear on the left, and the cells down a second hallway on the right, the Killburry Police Department was housed in one large room.

  It reminded Tanner of a newspaper office, because there were a number of desks and the cops sitting at them all seemed to be typing on their computer keyboards.

  Chief Ellison walked him out to the front of the station where Alexa was sitting on a wooden bench and looking worried. When she saw that Tanner wasn’t in handcuffs, she went to him and kissed him.

  “Are you all right? I heard that boy had a knife.”

  “I’m fine,” Tanner said. “That kid was just a punk.”

  “Not just any punk,” said one of the cops. He was the one who had been at the scene with Chief Ellison. Tanner had heard him referred to as Tim, and his nametag said his surname was Ralston. He was entering from the hallway on the right, where the cells were.

  “It turns out that the kid is Burt Hodges’ son,” Ralston said.