Delayed Justice

by Marvin Perkins

  The scene now settled down, Carson and Chuck convinced the pair to go back in the house which was a total wreck. Calmer heads finally prevailed and everyone got seated amid the rubble and the detectives started asking the questions they came there to ask.

  Chuck couldn’t keep his eyes off of the young lady while he and Carson questioned Raphael. Her breasts were simply incredible, large and nicely proportioned. They couldn’t be real Chuck couldn’t help himself from thinking.

  “What the hell is this all about Raphael?” Carson barked. “We come here to ask you about Emilio Rodrigues and find WWIII in progress. I know you heard about his murder, so tell us everything you know about it. And don’t say you don’t know anything, cause we know better.”

  Esperandza Gomez, the attractive Latino with the luscious breasts, sat on the couch next to Raphael looking at him like she still wanted to kill him, but she seemed as interested to hear what he had to say as the detectives were. Raphael hung his head down for a minute and then looked Carson straight in his face. “I didn’t kill him, if that what you two clowns are thinking,” he said finally. “Yeah, I heard about it, scared the hell out if me. I know who did it. I can’t prove it, but I know. She knows too,” looking over at the lady.

  “Okay, who do you think killed Emilio? Chuck inquired. “We can’t wait to hear this can we Carson?”

  Raphael took a sip off a beer that had been sitting on the coffee table undisturbed. “About a year ago, Esperandza was my girl. Things were going great for a while, but she ended up fucking my best homey at the time, Emilio. Stupid bitch.” Esperandza started to get up again, but Raphael pushed her back down on the couch hard. “Needless to say me and Emilio had a falling out. We had a few fights, but just fists and shit, no guns or knives. Deep down we were still close.”

  Chuck and Carson weren’t saying anything, just listening, wondering where this tale was going to lead. Chuck still couldn’t take his eyes off Esperandza, those breasts, those legs. Carson elbowed Chuck to get his attention so they could continue. “Okay, you guys had a few fights, but you were still close, okay,” Chuck managed to say.

  “Tell them about the freak., Dr. D,” Esperandza said sarcastically. “Though I have to admit, the mother fucker does do good work,” she said firmly grabbing her breasts with both hands.

  “Yeah, we met that asshole in a club in Cabo. He’s a real freak for Latino chicks. He bought us a few drinks and shit and as the night went on he offered Esperandza a lot of money to go to his hotel and have sex with his freak ass. We were drunk by then, and it was a whole lot of money so she went. That’s how the shit started, but it didn’t end there,” Raphael said, starting to look pissed off again.

  Carson and Chuck listened intently as Raphael continued his story. The whole thing was unraveling in a way they hadn’t expected but they liked the direction it was heading..

  “Turned out this so called doctor lived in La Jolla and was a plastic surgeon, a really rich dude. He started seeing Esperandza on the regular. He was into some freaky bondage masochistic shit. She didn’t like doing it but, damn, the dude was giving up big cash, so she kept on seeing him. As part of her payment he gave her those fake ass titties, very nice work I’ll have to admit,” Raphael continued, looking at the lady next to him.

  "You say Emilio got involved with Esperandza at some point?” Carson inquired.

  “Yeah, I finally had enough of the shit and kicked her to the curb. Soon as I did Emilio picked up on her quick. Starting hitting it from the jump. He didn’t care about her thing with the doctor, he just wanted to fuck her, you know?” Raphael said, looking at Esperandza harshly. “Emilio started doing odd jobs for the doctor. Like I said the freak was rich. He got Emilio hooked on some serious shit, the kind you can’t buy on the street. Between the drugs and the money and the sex, the doctor had him in deep. But what they didn’t know was the doctor was a cold blooded killer. He paid Emilio to rig the stanchions on the ship so they would fall. Emilio killed Roy Harris, but he wasn’t in his right mind.”

  Chuck and Carson just sat nodding their heads, what they were hearing was unbelievable.

  Raphael took another couple of pulls off of his beer and continued. “Emilio and Esperandza finally came to their senses and wanted out of “Dr. D’s” games but he wasn’t having it. That bastard killed Emilio, I’m sure of that. Emilio threatened to go to the cops. The doctor said no way he was going to allow that shit. He killed him, I’m telling you, and now he’s looking for her. That’s why she came here.”

  “So when you played these sex games with the doctor where did you go? Do you where he lives, Esperandza? Chuck asked still checking her out.

  "I don’t know the address, but I can show you how to get there. It wasn’t his house, it was an old warehouse he had converted into a shop. He had all his toys there in the bedroom, and some other stuff, he kept locked in another room,” Esperandza said looking at Chuck intently. “He never would let me see what was in the other room.”

  Carson had been quiet for a while but finally cleared his throat and asked, “So you’ll take us to this warehouse? We sure would like to take a look. We’ll have to get a warrant first, of course.”

  “Yeah, I’ll take you right now, let’s go. You need to catch this asshole. He scares the shit out of me,” Esperandza said, her voice trembling.

  “Hell, what are we waiting for? Let’s go,” Chuck said, as all four of them got up and headed for the door.

  Chapter Forty Six

  Frank

  Frank was doing better, he had been taken out of the ICU and was now in a regular room. All the tubes and life support equipment had been removed. He still had his broken leg in a cast, but he was able to get around pretty good. He at last felt like a human being again. He was not fully aware of all the murders that had taken place and the terrible lost of all but one of the club members.

  The nurse had just brought in his supper when Maria suddenly appeared at the door. She looked like hell, her face was red like she had been crying. She came over and sat in the chair next to Frank who recently had regained his appetite was woofing down his evening meal.

  She pulled a Kleenex out of her pocket and blew her nose and wiped her eyes. It was obvious she had been wrestling with a major issue and needed to talk to Frank. She hesitated, not really knowing what to say or how to say what she needed to say. “Frank, we can’t go on like we were going. I know this is the worst of possible times to tell you this,” She wiped her eyes again with an already tear soaked tissue. “I don’t love you anymore, Frank. I’ve been thinking a lot about it, while you’ve been in hospital. I just can’t go on living a lie. You’re cheating, and lying I just can’t take it anymore. I’m leaving you Frank. I’m going to live with my sister in Phoenix for a while, until I can get through this.”

  Frank didn’t say anything for seemed like an hour to Maria. He didn’t know quite what to say . A single tear ran down his cheek, he choked it back and finally managed to reply. “Maria, can’t we talk about this later, I mean after I get out of the hospital? I know we can work it out, just let’s talk about when I get out, please.”

  “No Frank, I’ve made up my mind. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I think it’s for the best,” Maria said getting out of her chair. “Bye, Frank.” She bent down and kissed him one final kiss on his forehead, turned and walked out the door.

  All Frank could do is watch, as Maria the love of his life walked out the door. “She’ll be back,” He thought. “She’s left before, she always comes back.” But deep down in his soul in a place he didn’t want to admit existed, he knew it was over this time. This time she wasn’t coming back.

  Chapter Forty Seven

  Steve Rollins

  As the sun came up on beautiful downtown San Diego, a crowd of homeless people milled around outside of St Vincent DePaul’s homeless shelter waiting for the breakfast meal to be served. Some were pushing shopping carts full of recyclable items, but most were just stan
ding idly in raggedy, funky clothes talking with the other homeless about whatever homeless people talk about.

  In the group of derelicts was a down on his luck, ex-con, ex-drug addict, ex-marine corps veteran of Vietnam, and member of the “seven”, Steve Rollins. He lit a cigarette butt he had found on the ground earlier and took a drag. He waited in the long line to enter the shelter, his stomach rumbled from hunger, his hand shook as he smoked, he flicked the ashes on the sidewalk, stared straight ahead, eyes vacant.

  Steve was ashamed to be in this line of bums waiting for a handout. He was ashamed of his weakness and his inability to kick his drug and alcohol addiction. He had just lost his job again, he had no one, nothing. He had attempted suicide unsuccessfully a few times. What a loser he always thought, couldn’t even get that right.

  So here he was with this group of down on their luck derelict bums begging once again for a free handout. What the hell, he was hungry. He took a last and final drag off the butt, tossed it on the ground and stamped it out.

  He didn’t notice he was being stalked, how could he, his stalker was very adept at his work and very careful as well. Dr. Ben Wyen, dressed in old dirty clothes was in the line behind him, waiting for his chance to strike. The doctor smiled to himself thinking he was doing this loser a favor today. Doing something for him, he couldn’t or wouldn’t do for himself. It seemed oddly amusing, as well as ironic to the good doctor as he waited in the line patiently.

  They finally got inside and reached the serving line. A volunteer behind the table dished out runny eggs, greasy bacon and burnt toast to the homeless including Steve and the doctor.

  Steve found himself a table and started woofing down the breakfast. It wasn’t all that good but he was so hungry, he didn’t care,

  Sitting a couple of tables over was “Dr. D”, picking at his food, watching and waiting for the right time to take care of this bum. The smell of the food made the doctor queasy. After all he was used to the very best and this rancid attempt at the morning meal was nauseating. He moved his food around on his plate, he watched and waited.

  Steve finished up his breakfast, sat for a few minutes drinking a cup of stale, lukewarm coffee. He looked around the room at the other participants in the morning’s event and shook his head in disgust.

  He got up to leave, but changed his mind. His head whirled around, his stomach churned, he all of sudden didn’t feel very well. He sat for a while and waited for his stomach to settle. The food hadn’t been that good, but he had eaten it many times and it never made him sick before. He just needed a drink, that would make him feel better.

  Shortly Steve began to feel better and found the strength to finally get up and leave. He stood up, still feeling a little shaky but slowly made his way towards the door of the shelter.

  It was the doctor’s cue to get up as well and follow. His time was getting short, he needed to end this thing. This obligation that had dominated his life for the last twenty five years had to end. He watched as Steve got up and followed in behind him at a distance as he went through the door and walked slowly down the street.

  Turning down an alley Steve walked a short distance and stopped at a pile of blankets and clothes that lay on the payment against the wall of an old abandoned warehouse. This was his home for now. All his earthly possessions were in this pile of what looked like trash. He unrolled the blanket and laid down to go back to sleep. Hell he didn’t have anything else to do. Later on he would go back to the shelter and eat lunch or even get the energy to beg for spare change for his daily bottle of wine.

  The doctor watched from a distance, peeking around the corner of a building adjacent to the alley. His prey was helpless, asleep for his last time in a life that was about to end. The doctor looked around, not a soul in sight, the coast was clear as he made his way towards Steve, now fast asleep in his bed roll. This was just too easy, the doctor thought to himself and laughed as he always did right before he struck the lethal blow.

  He was in striking distance, close enough to smell his victim, when out of nowhere a man with a huge grey beard and hair to match appeared seemingly out of thin air. “Hey what you doing to my friend?” The bum inquired of the startled doctor.

  Instinctively Wyen grabbed the bearded bum and snapped his neck like a twig. He fell like a sack of potatoes limp to the morning pavement, twitched a couple of times and was still. The doctor went back to his business at hand. All the commotion had awaken Steve and his eyes opened with a start. Trying to move he was unable because of a carefully placed knee on his chest. He watched helpless as the silenced muzzle of a 9 millimeter pistol was placed to his head, his eyes bulging, he started to speak, but before he could, two rounds were pumped into his brain.

  The doctor could strike this piece of trash off his list. Only one was left. The one that got away. The one he wanted the most, Lt. Frank Desio.

  Chapter Forty Eight

  Carson and Chuck

  Leaving Raphael Fuentes’ place like a bat out of hell, Chuck and Carson with Esperandza and Raphael in the back seat headed towards the warehouse where she said “Dr. D” had his playhouse. It was in a bad part of downtown San Diego in the middle of some old abandoned buildings that were soon to be torn down by the city.

  No way in hell they would have found this place without help from the lady with the beautiful breasts, courtesy of the man they were looking for. As they pulled up in front they noticed a late model Mercedes parked out in front, looking very out of place in this run down neighborhood.

  "That’s his car,” Esperandza said very excitedly. “I’m sure, that’s his car.”

  Carson and Chuck felt a pang of excitement. They were in striking distance of catching this maniac and putting an end to his killing spree once and for all. But first they had to catch this guy. He was a slippery character and they knew they had better proceed with caution because he was armed and dangerous.

  They told Raphael and the lady to stay in the car. They didn’t want any innocent civilians getting caught in the crossfire and killed. They also didn’t have a warrant or probable cause. Just a minor drawback in achieving their goal, but one that did present a problem. They couldn’t just kick the door down. They knew a good lawyer would have any evidence thrown out of court if it was obtained by an illegal search.

  What to do, what to do. That was the problem that faced the detectives as they eased up on the front door of the warehouse, guns drawn. They decided to take the direct approach, just knock on the front door and inform the inhabitant they wanted to ask him a few questions. If and that was a big if, he let them in maybe they could find out something through clever interogation that would prompt a judge to issue a search warrant. Wasn’t a good plan but it was the only one Carson and Chuck had at the time.

  However by the time they got to the door this plan had gone out the window and they decided just to try and kick the door down, which they did try to do, but the door was so solid it wasn’t happening. Chuck damn near broke his foot and his shoulder trying. But soon the whole thing was immaterial as out of nowhere, a late model Jeep Cherokee roared around the corner of the building. Driving the vehicle was no other than the good doctor himself, who shot them the bird as he flew by.

  “Shit, that’s him,” Carson yelled as he pointed at the Jeep. “Let’s go Chuck, that mother fucker’s getting away,” he yelled at Chuck, but Chuck was already heading towards their unit. Carson turned and ran as fast as he could, which wasn’t that fast, right behind Chuck. Chuck jumped behind the driver’s seat waiting for Carson to arrive and started up the car, Raphael and Esperandza in the back seat both yelling,”he’s getting away, he’s getting away.”

  Finally Carson dragged himself into the unit huffing and puffing from the run and they took off in pursuit of the Jeep. Chuck was on the radio getting help for their chase and giving dispatch the description of the vehicle, Carson still out of breath and unable to speak. They were losing him, damn it. They couldn’t lose him. If
he got away they may never find him again. Wyen was smart enough and rich enough to disappear. They had to catch him.

  The doctor in his fire engine red Jeep Cherokee took a hard right at the first corner and headed straight down Broadway. They saw him make the sharp turn and followed hoping to catch him as he careened down the straight away. They were gaining on the Jeep when suddenly he made a sharp right down a side street.

  Chuck tried to follow but couldn’t quite negotite the turn and spun out almost rolling the unit. He turned around tires screeching and smoking to find when he turned down the side street the doctor’s Jeep was nowhere in sight. By this time Carson was able to speak and he radioed their backup to see if they had a visual. The answer was not what the detectives wanted to hear. They had lost the Jeep themselves, it was like it had vanished in thin air.

  They couldn’t believe it, how could they lose him. It wasn’t possible, but they had lost him. What the hell were they going to do now? Well at least since the doctor had ran like he did they could get a search warrant to take a look what was inside the “playhouse.” They were looking forward to seeing what they might find there. If it was anything like the girl had described it, it should prove to be very interesting. They only hoped there would be some hard core evidence linking the doctor to the murders. They hoped and as soon as the court order arrived they would find out.

  Chapter Forty Nine

  “Dr D.”

  Wyen looked in his rear view mirror and started to laugh. He had lost the incompetent bastards. He would have to leave town and quick. He knew they would find out easily where he lived and of course they knew where his office was. He also knew they would get a search warrant and find all the evidence they needed to convict him of the murders. How did they find him? Maybe they weren’t quite as incompetent as he thought they were. Nonetheless he had to disappear.