The Aftermath

58

Baker is awake, showered, dressed, and on her second cup of coffee when her phone rings at 6:17am. "Baker? This is Simmons. I need to know where the third girl was killed, the Stewart girl. I know it was in Linda Vista. Tom's daughter was taken by Stewart this morning."

She runs into her home office and pulls out copies of the case files. Flipping open the Beth Stewart file she sees the address. "You certain about this?"

"Tom is, and he's on his way. We need back up."

"You have it, here is the address." She recites it to him.

"Order an ambulance too. Maybe two if Tom gets there before we do."

"Two?"

"One of them is going to get shot. That you can bet on."

"Right."

Hanging up with Kemp she speed-dials the call-in, gives her identification number and orders an All Available Cars to the address, and two ambulances. She informs them that the suspects Jim Stewart and Bobby Anderson are there with a hostage and that a friendly will be inside the building as well. Orders are to subdue and contain.

Baker looks at the phone, 6:29am. She grabs her coat and keys then heads for the door. At the door she picks up her badge and service gun. Then she leaves her apartment and heads for her car.

Traffic was very light early Sunday morning. She was coming in from El Cajon, cruising her car at 85mph down the fast lane, her lights flashing, praying that she would get there before Stewart had a chance to cut into her. At the very least, in time to save her life, and possibly her father's.

Roads still believed that Tom was the original Coroner Killer. After seeing him in action, and listening to testimonies, it was hard for her to agree, or to blend together the actions of Tom Blake over the last two weeks, with the serial killer that he is suppose to be, according to Roads. But Roads was rarely wrong about things, and if he was, he corrected himself quickly. Bad theories were dropped like burning pokers by Roads. He never regretted them either, nor was he embarrassed by them.

Baker shook her head, physically clearing her mind. It didn't matter what Roads thought. Right now the courts say that Tom Blake was not the man. He was therefore just a citizen like any other, a person she was sworn to protect. She had never met Angie, but she was fourteen and right now, scared out of her mind. It didn't matter who her father was, Angie didn't deserve the death Jim Stewart had planned for her. No one did, except perhaps the Coroner Killer, and now Stewart and Anderson.

God, let me get both of them today and end this!