“Time to go to work. See you guys later.” Sam slowly accelerated to begin the tail. Everything about this suspect and his activities so far just wasn’t right. He certainly wasn’t an overserved bar patron who had wandered out on the rail bridge over the river.
The BMW headed east towards Newport on the Levy, an entertainment complex built upon the earthen levy designed to keep the low lying City of Newport safe from annual floods. The complex featured high end bars and restaurants, a cinema, a Millenial bar and bowling alley combo, and the world renowned Newport Aquarium. The bars and bowling alley had about an hour before close.
The BMW found a spot across the street from the Complex, and parked. During peak hours, street parking anywhere near the complex was impossible, so patrons would use the Complex underground garage. Sam found a spot a block away. Tailing the suspect at this late hour in a deserted underground garage would be very difficult. It wasn’t easy on virtually deserted streets at 1:00AM on a week night.
Sam waited until the suspect locked his vehicle, and headed towards the entrance before exiting his unmarked vehicle. This was going to be tricky. He needed to keep the suspect in sight with only brief moments when he wasn’t, but with almost no people on the street, and most of the Newport on the Levy crowd gone for the evening, this was easier said than done. If the suspect had any experience or tradecraft training, he would make the tail in a heartbeat. He decided to take a chance.
Sam headed down the sidewalk in the opposite direction, watching the reflection of the suspect in the first floor window of a building on his side of the street. Good move. The suspect turned to observe Sam before opening the access door to the Complex, where he disappeared. Sam walked several more paces, then spun and sprinted across the street, barely catching the door before the self-closure mechanism could pull it shut. Once inside, he pulled the door shut quickly, and froze. After twenty seconds, he heard footsteps start to climb stairs. The perp had waited just out of sight on the first stair landing to make sure he wasn’t followed. “He’s had training.” Sam thought.
Sam remained still, listening. The sound of the footsteps changed in pitch when the suspect reached a concrete landing, then methodically resumed. At the third landing, a door opened and closed, then silence.
At thirty-two years old, Sam was in excellent shape, actually placing in the top ten in the Flying Pig Marathon last Spring. He put this training to the test by sprinting up three flights of stairs, pausing at the door leading to the open plaza of the Complex. He caught sight of the suspect crossing the open air plaza. The suspect was heading towards Axis Alley, an upscale bowling alley with lots of neon, live music, a liquor license and a dress code. It was wildly popular with Millenials. The perp would fit in nicely with this crowd. Crew cut, cheap suit wearing Detective Sam would not. Right age maybe, but definitely not a fashionista. Sam preferred young country, not Indie. He watched the suspect enter the bowling alley, and stopped just outside the entrance to think through his next move.
Sam knew he would not blend in. The alley sported 16 bowling lanes, a bar and restaurant, and lots of really well dressed twenty and thirty somethings. As he stood beside the entrance, two couples in their early twenties emerged, laughing among themselves.
“Excuse me, may I speak with you a moment?” Sam flashed his shield. The couples immediately clammed up, and stood stock still, an appropriate reaction when confronted by a police officer while leaving a bar to drive home at 1:00AM. Sam needed help, not apprehension.
“Relax guys, I’m not on duty.” Not true, but appropriately disarming. “I need a little favor. Can you help me please?” Sam was a good looking guy with a dazzling smile, big dimples, and a down home accent. The people of Northern Kentucky did not have southern twang accents. One had to travel further south towards Louisville or Lexington before a Kentucky drawl emerged among residents.
“Ah, sure. I guess.” One of the attractive ladies returned his smile, the others visibly relaxing a bit.
“I had dinner with a friend at the Fish House. I’m on my way to the garage to get my car, and I see this guy walk in here. He’s the one you passed as you were leaving a few seconds ago. I think he may be the same person we’re investigating, but I couldn’t get a good look. I’m a detective with the Newport Police Department. If it is the guy, I don’t want him to know I spotted him. If it’s not the guy, I don’t want to embarrass anyone.”
“What’s he wanted for?” The other cutie asked. “Yeah.” Her boyfriend chimed in.
“Sorry, I can’t really say anything about an active investigation. What’s your name?” The first girl to speak started to dig in her purse for an ID.
“No, no, you don’t have to show me your ID. I’m off duty, remember.” Everyone relaxed a bit further.
“Chelsea.” she answered.
“Hi Chelsea, I’m Sam.” He held the dazzling smile and shook her hand. This is working.
“What do you want us to do, I mean the favor?” Chelsea asked.
“Undercover work. Can you guys go back into the Axis, and see where he’s sitting. Pretend one of you left your phone somewhere around his seat. Take my cell phone, and take his picture. Not too close or obvious. I’ll turn the flash off so he can’t tell you took his picture. He’s not dangerous, or anything like that. It would really help me out.” The sound of the shutter would certainly be drowned out by fluorescent bowling balls crashing into pins in the neon lit establishment.
Chelsea had a look on her face like she had just been invited to the prom by the captain of the football team. She grinned from ear to ear, as she accepted Sam’s phone. Both tipsy ladies were excited with this quasi-dangerous assignment. The guys, not so much.
“Come on, Kelly. Remember all those school plays in high school you were in. This will be a hoot!” Chelsea encouraged.
“Hang on a second.” Her date objected. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Don’t be a buzz kill, Daniel. Stay here if you like. Detective Sam will protect you.” Both girls spun on their heeled booties, and practically skipped towards the door in their tight Yoga pants. As the ladies disappeared through the entrance, Daniel spun to face Sam.
“What the fuck, man?” Daniel shouted.
Sam’s engaging smile and down home drawl turned off like a light switch.
“Stand just inside the door, and watch the ladies. Any trouble, signal me.”
“You said he wasn’t dangerous!” Daniel protested.
“I have no reason to believe he is dangerous.” Sam responded. “Now, do you want to stand inside the door, or chat with me about how much you’ve had to drink tonight… sir?”
Daniel took this cue to go stand inside the door. After several minutes of alternating watching the ladies on their mission, and delivering nasty looks directed towards Sam outside, the ladies burst past Daniel, through the door, laughing like school girls. They quickly skipped over to Sam, grinning.
Chelsea handed Sam his smart phone. “I asked him if I could take a selfie with him, and he said yes. Got about six. He tried to get my phone number.”
Not to be out done, Kelly held out a drink to Sam, the sweating glass wrapped in a bar napkin.
“What’s this?” Sam asked.
“I took his drink in case you need fingerprints.” Kelly announced. Both ladies turned towards each other, and laughed again. “We watch CSI Miami reruns.” They shouted in unison.
Sam’s dazzling smile and down home drawl returned immediately.
Crossroads
W. Dale Justice’s newest novel, coming in the Spring of 2017.
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