by C. Meyer
“Always said my boy had a big heart,” remarked Dana edgily somewhat annoyed that her fun outing apparently was about to be prematurely ended.
“As we were discussing, today is the first anniversary of the Write Stuff murder. Not certain yet, but someone may have commemorated it with a copycat murder just a few doors down at the Boca Panera’s. Simon Kong can handle it, but I should make an appearance and our two Charlie’s, Inspector Chang’s most honorable Inspector Chang’s kids are all experts on the subject of the Write Stuff murder. They might be helpful to Kong.”
“Come on shiny top. Have a heart,” retorted Dana. “You’re not going to rob your mother of all her dinner partners and send her home alone are ya? I promise not to get in the way. Pretty please.”
Kristian looked long and hard at his mother.
“Promise not to let that tongue of yours wag too much or try seducing any of my guys?” he finally asked with a boyish grin.
“I’ll try but your Chief Inspector Kong is small yet quite a hunk.” teased Dana while taking her Charlie’s hand to be sure he’d know she was joking.
“That’s our friend Martine’s group. Hope she is all right”, shared Dana’s Charlie as the group left to walk the hundred yards to Panera’s.
“I attended a few meetings with her before I found a group of my own much closer to home.”
The group from Brio arrived at Panera’s shortly. They were greeted by a rather puzzled looking Chief Inspector Simon Kong, an obviously fit, handsome man of modest height and amazingly intense blue eyes. Police Chief Kristian La Blonde introduced the group to the atypically befuddled Kong.
“Simon, I presume that questioning look reflects the size and nature of my entourage, he smiled ironically. “We were all having a late happy hour at Brio when I got the call from you. As if we didn’t have enough coincidences all save one of my group have firsthand knowledge of the Write Stuff murder which this seems to so eerily mimic.
I assume you recognize the famous Honolulu inspector Charlie Chang and know of his role in that crime’s investigation. His two adult children, Tommy and Betty were also there. They are PI’s back home and were instrumental in cracking the case by finding the murder weapon the Coral Springs police had missed taped to the underside of a table. The second Charlie, who our ever creative Inspector Chang “modestly” has dubbed his Number Two Charlie, was a member of The Write Stuff and in attendance that fatal night. He also tells me that a little more than a year ago he attended some of this 1500 Word group’s meetings. You, of course, know my mother, Dana. She, as ever, is just here because she’s nosey but she is nice. I’ll take personal responsibility she doesn’t get in the way.
“That’s curious not nosey, please, Kristian”, interjected Dana with a smile. “Nice to see you again Chief Inspector. The circumstances could be better,” she continued offering her hand.
“Simon, please review what we have here for us would you.”
“Somewhat inconclusive at the moment, Kristian. Doctor Porter, our medical examiner is on a much deserved vacation in Europe with his lovely Assistant Medical Examiner, Amy.”
“His wife couldn’t make it, huh?” interrupted Dana.
“Mother!”
Kong paused while he waited for the collective smirks to recede from the faces of the group. Then he continued, “…so we are waiting for his cover, Doctor Lytle, who you probably know is the Broward Medical Examiner.
No sooner was his name was mentioned than Doctor Lytle came through the door and joined the group.
“My my, the gang is all here I see. Your Chief Inspector tells me it looks a lot like a copycat, and he was just talking about the crime,” offered the good doctor before adding with a chuckle, “I suppose a copycat group of investigators only appropriate.”
“As Confucius would say, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” returned Chang.
A piercing look from Kristian kept Dana’s mouth closed.
“All please to look at scowling man by cash register. It is Carl Dulop once known as Carlos Ortega. He was manager of the Coral Springs Panera’s and early prime suspect in murder. He was also boyfriend of confessed murder, Isabella Lopez. While she wished him needle while he was chief suspect, she later denied he had any role in the killing. Inspector Marks and I interviewed him thoroughly but couldn’t get much out of him because he lawyered up. We had no choice but to accept the Lopez woman’s story about being lone gunman or should I say pen woman.”
“Jesus H. Krist!” muttered Kristian mostly to himself. Then he asked aloud, “Any of you Write Stuff experts see other familiar faces here?”
“I understand from Kong’s call that the dead woman is one Margarita Lopez. Hispanic and likely Cuban I presume. Surname ring a bell with anyone?” returned Lytle.
All eyes widened in shock and surprise.
“Please to let us not jump to conclusions everyone. Einstein say, “Sometimes one and one does not equal two,” said Chang dead serious.
A moment of pregnant silence followed before Kristian broke the silence with a question to Charlie, “Okay. Charlie Number Two, you were a member here. Many familiar faces?”
“I see a few. Maybe four or five. The rest of the group is new or at least new to me. There is a lot of turnover in these writing groups and it’s been a while.”
“And who would they be, Charlie?”
“That rather big self-important looking woman is Maxine, the chief group leader. Lol, they have a few in this group but she always led the meetings while I was a member. Her day job is some kind editor.
The blonde slightly stocky one with glasses next to Maxine, is my friend Martine. She is a Spanish to English translator and sports the title co-organizer of late in recent emails I’ve received from the group. Last time I saw her she was planning to become a full time shaman and astrologer. Don’t know is she’s made the switch yet.”
“Shaman? Not familiar with English word”, interrupted Chang.
“Sort of a witch doctor devoted mostly to healing as I understand it, Charlie. Supposedly most cultures had them. Some still do. If you know what I mean, replied Charlie with a wink toward Dana.”
“Ah so yes, most helpful. A wu.”
“Most welcome, Number One Charlie,” smiled Dana’s Charlie then, after a momentary pause while seemingly stretching his eyes to focus on something adding, “Dana, isn’t that your tenant “Chef You Know What I Mean” standing in the door to the kitchen?”
“Yeppers, that’s my boy. He’s just working some shifts here as a cook occasionally while he waits on other hopefully better job offers. You know what I mean?”
Dana and Charlie exchanged broad grins. Apparently there was a private bit of humor in their exchange. Friends knew better than to bother to ask.
“Anyone else in the group of writers, Charlie?” asked Simon.
The two older men chatting with one another are Willard and Harry from Switzerland and Israel respectively. To my mind they are far and away the best writers in the group though neither has English as a first language. Never-the-less, at least while I attended, the ladies of the group were often pretty hard on them. Sometimes they took politically correct to new heights.
At other times these ladies were just too stupid to understand their own language and basic concepts like time zones. Those than can’t critique…. if ya know what mean.
Dana couldn’t hold back a laugh. Charlie smiled back before add added a targeted, “I see you know what I mean, Dana.” before continuing.
“The somewhat younger guy with glasses sitting at the head of that table with over by the door is ummm named Roger I believe. He was writing an incredibly dull children’s book about dead presidents last year. Supposedly, he has published other works. Only chatted with him once. Found him intolerably disrespectful and rather in love with himself. But maybe that is just me. I know Martine had him on a pedestal. Lol, she thought him the next Hemingway for some reason but maybe that was personal.
“The last one I
recognize is someone I never actually met and don’t recall
his name but have seen his picture in group emails. He is yet another organizer and also characterizes himself as the founder of the group.
”Wait a minute, that woman who just came from the restroom and sat down at the table is Debbie. She was a newbie at Write Stuff the night of the murder. Never saw her again.
So many titles. Most status conscious bunch from what you say,” joked Inspector Kong. “Let’s go see if we can hang a new title on one or two of them - something like Chief Suspect.” As Kong finished speaking, Doctor Lytle returned from his initial inspection of Margarita’s body.
“The bad news is she is dead. The good news is we don’t have another coincidence beyond that. Her body is cold but still quite pliable unlike that of the late Gonzalez woman. Also, thank God, there is no smell of bananas. Indeed, there is no smell of anything except Channel mixed with death. No obvious trauma or other wounds. She was most attractive and looks quite healthy for a dead woman. You’ll have to wait for an autopsy for the cause of death.
It was like Déjà vu all over again for those that had been at The Write Stuff murder scene. Soon people were where the police wanted them and Kong and Chang were having group members brought one by one for interviews in a private dining room well out of sight of the main one. The other group members
had taken the seats they had at the time the Lopez woman collapsed and died. The staff was seated at another table removed from that of the writers.
“I assume you’ll want to speak with Dulop first, Simon. I’ll join you and Chang for that interview and perhaps a few others unless I get called away.”
“You doing car accidents tonight, boss? Remember, this is Boca we don’t get a murder but maybe once every year or two,” teased Kong good naturedly, “Sure come and go as you like. This Dulop guy sounds ripe for it to me at least for the moment. Let’s hope he provides us an early evening.”
Soon Dulop was escorted to the table where the three detectives were holding court. The uniform took a seat behind the man as he had been instructed to do for all interviews.
“We meet again Inspector Chang. Hope you are not going to try to frame me for this murder too. I am going to have a hard enough time with my District Manager. No one wants to have an albatross working for them. My old D.M. wouldn’t let me stay in Coral Springs after what you did to me.
“Most pleasant to see you again, Dulop. You date attractive red haired women as well,” returned Chang with an ironic smile.
“I ain’t saying a damned thing more till I get my lawyer. I know you guys want to hang me.”
“That is your right, Mr. Dulop,” responded Inspector Kong. Adding, “Feel free to use my cell
if you don’t have one on you.” as he offered his
phone to Dulop. “Be sure your attorney understands you need him or her now or you’ll likely be held.”
Dulop indicated he had one and was led away to make his call.
---------
Maxine Maxwell, the group leader was more talkative but clearly offended that she “a prominent citizen” of Boca Rotan should have to submit to such an indignity.
“Sorry Mrs. Maxwell for the trouble but sometimes fate deals us a lousy hand. You are not being interviewed as a suspect but rather as
a witness. I trust you understand the
distinction.” soothed Kong.
“I suppose, but I am a very busy person,”
responded Maxine self- importantly.
“Yes aren’t we all. Now if you could just tell us what you saw tonight from your arrival through the death of Margarita Lopez and afterwards if there was anything at all unusual.”
“It all was pretty normal. We had a good turnout. Everyone showed up that had said her or she were coming was at our table by starting time. Some had refreshments some not. That nice Mr. Dulop, the manager even came over to ask if everything was all right. He even
remarked to Margarita how lovely she looked tonight. Willard’s new work was our first to be read. Martine and Margarita were inexcusably whispering to one another most vigorously. I hushed them so people could read undisturbed by such illicit conversation.
I was myself reading Willard’s submission for about five minutes when out of the blue, Margarita screams out “SATAN LEAVE ME” and her head falls to the table. I called 911. The medics tried to revive her but couldn’t. After a short time one of them pronounced her dead. Then they took her away. I was crying. Martine was crying. I think everyone looked sad and shocked. Can’t say I noticed much more of anything. I am still in shock myself.”
What had been Margarita’s response to the earlier compliment?” interjected Inspector Kong.
She just smiled that pretty smile of hers and said “Thanks Karl.” I assume that is his first name. I just know him as Mr. Dulop, of course.
Simon Kong made a note.
“You say all were reading. Is that reading along while the writer reads his work to the group, please?” asked Chang.
“Oh no, we wouldn’t read aloud. Too much ambient noise and we wouldn’t want to disturb other diners or have them hear the racy things that some our
writers, like Harry write about. We try to be good guests. After all, this is Boca Raton.”
They questioned the Maxwell woman for some time. She seemed very open but knew very little of the others beyond what they wrote at group. She offered that Harry’s writing was a bit risqué for Boca and was not at all sensitive to women’s issues but had nothing to say about anyone that sounded at all incriminating.
----------
Chang was wrapping up with Maxine Maxwell when Kong noticed his cell vibrating and excused himself.
“Simon,” said Doctor Lytle on the other end of the call. “We’ve barely started and Willard likely be a while. However, as soon as we undressed the dead woman, I noticed something very strange indeed. On her left shoulder, there was a large and distinct contusion reading 666.”
“The devil’s sign?” questioned Kong.
“The same if you believe in that sort of thing.”
“Sure it’s not a tattoo?”
“Certain.”
“Anything else?”
“Like I said we just started.”
“K, thanks for the call.”
--------
Chang had finished with Maxine by the time Kong returned to the table and was waiting on Kong to have the next witness brought in.
“Something helpful?” queried Kristian.
“Yea, the devil did it,” quipped Kong before sharing the conversation he’d had with Chang and Kristian.
“Wish Doc Porter was handling this. I know I can trust his observations. Anyone know anything about this Lytle guy?” asked Kristian thoughtfully.
“He is the Broward Medical Examiner and performed well in the Write Stuff investigation. We must keep minds open. Confucius say, “Where smoke often find fire.”
Chang’s words were followed by the unmistakable sound of someone nearby trying to swallow their laughter. Kristian sought out the source of this unexpected sound and found the expected source of the not so unfamiliar
noise crouched behind a cabinet for trays and trash near the secondary door to the restaurant.
“Mother” he whispered quietly but forcefully. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing? These are confidential police interviews!”
“Don’t ya trust your own mother?”
“Yea, I trust her to do what she feels like doing even if she shouldn’t. You are the most willful…..”
“Aww, that’s sweet, Kristian.”
“Maybe I should have you arrested?”
“You wouldn’t do that.”
“You’re probably right but I Willard pull you up from there by your ears and throw you out if you don’t get out quietly and immediately yourself….. And don’t you dare come back or share a word you overheard.”
“If Inspector Chang doesn’t invent any more outrag
eous Confucius quotes, I am sure I can keep quiet.”
“No! …Out!’
“I hate it when you get this way.”
“Out!
“I was in such a good mood too…Well okay, you create a distraction...”
Kristian turned and feigned a distraction as he walked back to the table while Dana tried to invisibly go out the door.
“Did she leave?” he asked as he sat down.
“Most stealthily by the door,” smiled Chang. “Mouse with cat following. Could not have moved more quickly.”
“I was sorely tempted to have a uniform cuff her and drive her home. I am really sorry about this.”