Chapter 27

“There’s been an arrest in the Matt Stevens case.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Apparently, the forensic analysis tied a Florida ex-cop to the body.”

“Can we extradite him here?”

“Not yet. First, he has to stand trial in Florida because the murder took place there. Once that is done, Florida will allow extradition for any involvement in our open cases.”

“Thanks.”

Detective Jones hung up the phone. Did this mean ex-cops in other states were part of Vandenburg’s network? It certainly was possible. Who else had the motive to get rid of Stevens?

This certainly widened the scope of the case. The detective thought it over. The robbery of the Fields home and the criminal activities at the Star Candy club were local matters. But out of state hit men hinted at a larger conspiracy. The Fields disappearance could now be viewed in a different light as well.

Jones went to his superiors and talked it over. After some discussion, it was agreed. Time to call in the feds.

FBI special agents Blutowski and Roberts arrived just over a week later. After the usual round of greetings and introductions, they convened in a conference room down the hall from Detective Jones office.

“So what brings us here, detective?”

“We’ve been investigating robbery, extortion, and homicide cases for months. Originally, they seemed to operate on a local level, but new developments have widened the scope. My superiors think it’s time for federal agencies to get involved.”

“What new developments?”

“We pulled in one of the robbery suspects on suspicion of casing a joint for B&E. He didn’t have tools on him, so we had to let him go. Shortly thereafter, he was murdered in Florida. Just now, forensic evidence tied a Florida ex-cop to the body. Furthermore, we have an unsolved disappearance that might involve similar out of state hit men. Given the interstate racketeering possibilities, we thought it prudent to call you folks in.”

“Good call. We’ll need current files on each investigation for review to get us up to speed.”

“The files are being delivered as we speak.”

“Thanks. We’ll reconvene once the initial review is completed.”

“One more thing. There is significant minority involvement in these cases. As you may be aware, Black Lives Matter has been protesting and marching for more action on the Fields disappearance case. Given the political implications, we need to tread carefully going forward.”

“Understood.”