What's Left is Right: Book two of The Detective Bill Ross Crime Series

by Irving Munro

  “I was just doing as I was told,” said Pepe, shaking his head in despair.

  “And what were you told?”

  “If I tell you, I don’t want the needle and I’ll also need protection as Jimmy will arrange to get me killed. He’s done it before with others who have opened their big mouths.”

  “The problem with that, Pepe, is that I’m not going to go stick my neck out for you unless I know what it is you have to tell me. You’re just going to have to trust me that I will do what I can for you. That’s better than what you’ve got right now, which is nothing.”

  Pepe waited for a moment but soon realized that he had little option but to spill the beans.

  “Jimmy asked me first to tell him to back off. He said that this guy Raul Hernandez was trying to muscle in on our business and bring in his own cheap illegal labor. He was also going to give the illegals that work for us more money and try to tempt them away to work for him. It was going to really screw up what it had taken us years to build, and if he got too close and found out about our drug business, then the shit would really hit the fan.”

  “Jimmy asked me to follow Hernandez and find out where he lived. I saw him come out of his hotel and head over to the gym on Lamar a couple of times a week, and I got in his face one night and told him that if he didn’t back down he was a dead man.”

  “He wouldn’t stop, and we saw him talking with a group of electricians who appeared to be agreeing with what he said. That’s when Jimmy said that we would have to make him disappear. We could make it look like he was an illegal, and if we could do that the cops wouldn’t spend too much time looking for the killers.”

  “We sat in the limo in the parking lot at the gym, Jimmy and I, and some of the illegals who worked for us, in a couple of our trucks and a beat-up old Taurus. I hit him from behind and we bundled him into the trunk of the Taurus. I took the remote from him for the BMW and looked to see what I could find in the car. There were a couple of handguns in the trunk and a nice leather jacket in the back. So I took them.”

  “We drove out to Whispering Hollow where the others we had paid to help get the job done had cleared the area of a couple of homeless guys and made sure that the coast was clear when we arrived.”

  “When we got there we hauled him out of the truck and I tied a rope around his wrists and secured it to one of the pickups. I took his wallet and money clip out of his back pocket; I just saw it when I was fastening the rope so I took it, and then I gave the signal for him to be dragged.”

  “When it was over I took the baseball bat to him and Jimmy cut off his hands. We cleaned up the drag site, threw the hands in the back of the truck and dumped them in the lake later.”

  “The cross had been set up and Jimmy poured gas on it and set it alight. He then took out the sign from the back of the limo, which he had written earlier, and nailed it to a tree. That was it, we were out of there and we drove home.”

  Pepe had coughed the lot.

  “Well, the thing is, Pepe, it’s your word against his. I doubt that your compadres who helped are going to suddenly get a conscience and tell us what happened. Nope, it’s a he said - he said thing, Pepe. I need more than what you’ve just given me.”

  Pepe paused, staring at the ceiling for a moment. It was as if he was trying to decide to jump off the cliff or not. If he played his final card, there was no going back. As it stood right now the cops could say that they found out what had happened in the course of their investigation. They could construct it to hide the fact that Pepe had grassed. But if he played his final card then it would come out in the trial that he was the one who had given them the evidence. He decided he had no option but to get them to play along with his scheme to hide the fact that he had grassed.

  “Okay, I’ll give you the evidence you need to prove that it was Jimmy who asked me to do this. Now you’re going to have to trust me. Before I tell you where the evidence is, I want it in writing from the DA that I won’t get the needle and that I’ll get protection. I don’t want to involve that slime ball Julien Boudreaux, so no talking with him. You get me a letter and I give you the evidence - deal?”

  “Okay, Pepe, I’ll see what I can do.” Bill and Tommy left the cells to go brief the Chief and Bobby Brown.

  ~

  Marie returned to the office after her trip to Round Rock. It was just after two in the afternoon and she looked up the telephone information for the post office on Martin Luther King Way in Sarasota. She found it and made the call.

  “Can I speak with the person in charge of your PO box rental facilities?”

  “Hello, Angelina Rocha here, I’m in charge of the PO box rental. Do you wish to rent a box?”

  “No, Angelina, this is Detective Marie Mason of the Travis County Police Department in Austin, Texas, I need some information on a current renter.”

  “I can’t give you that information over the phone, Detective, but if you send me an email with the box number, outlining why you need the information, then I can get you the information immediately.”

  An hour later Marie had what she needed. The box had been rented by a Shirley Simpson of 17 Longmeadow Circle, Sarasota, a very expensive neighborhood on the outskirts of the city.

  Shirley Simpson, why do I know that name? thought Marie. It came to her in a flash. Shirley Simpson was Gavin McMullen’s campaign manager for his election bid for the Texas governor race. What the hell was going on here?

  Tommy’s cell phone rang as he and Bill were headed back to the office from their meeting with Bobby Brown. It was Marie. “Where are you guys? I’ve uncovered some interesting information about Antonella Aguilar. Are you coming back to the office soon?”

  ~

  They met in the conference room at Hudson Bend 20 minutes later and Marie brought them up to speed on what she had found.

  “Gavin McMullen is in the middle of this. He is risking his entire political future; why would he do that? Did Gavin McMullen give the order for the hit because Mike was getting too close to uncovering his involvement? Mike had met with Antonella, and if she told Gavin about it and the fact that Mike was digging around in the family business, perhaps Gavin lost it and had him taken out,” said Tommy.

  “The pieces don’t fit,” said Bill.

  “Gavin’s name has never come up. Mike never mentioned seeing him during his surveillance activities. Mike simply said that Antonella raised Gavin, so Gavin must have a strong bond with her. Are we suggesting that he has killed Antonella in addition to ordering the hit on Mike? If he was concerned about Mike digging dirt up on the family, it’s likely that Antonella knows more about where the skeletons are buried than anyone. Why involve his campaign manager to set up a PO box for communication with the Round Rock Realtor regarding the sale of her home? No, Gavin is not a bad guy in this, I’d bet my life on it, but he is involved in some way. The real issue is, why is he involved? That’s what we need to find out.”

  “Marie, can you get hold of Shirley Simpson tomorrow and try to get to the bottom of this? We need to talk with Antonella Aguilar. Bill and I need to get back with Pepe Vivar; the DA has given us a green light to take the death penalty off the table provided that he can give us solid evidence that Jimmy Rodriquez orchestrated Mike’s killing.”

  ~

  The following morning Bill and Tommy were back in the holding cell with Pepe Vivar.

  “I have your letter from the DA, Pepe, but read it carefully. If what you give us as evidence of Jimmy Rodriguez’s involvement is useless, then all bets are off. If, on the other hand, if it’s golden and we get a conviction, then the DA will go to bat for you with the judge and not seek the death penalty.”

  Pepe spilled the beans.

  “Okay, here’s the deal. You need to search the limo. Below the driver’s side seat, tucked up inside the lining, is a metal clip. The clip holds a micro-recorder. Most of the time when Jimmy talked with me about dirty work he wanted me to do, we did it in the limo. He’s paranoid that his house is bugge
d and he thinks the limo is secure. We drive out into the middle of nowhere, miles away from any cell towers, and have our little talks.

  “For my own protection I’ve been taping our conversations. If it’s still there, it will have the conversation recorded when he told me to make the hit on Raul Hernandez and how he wanted it set up. When you find it, I want you to contact Julien Boudreaux and tell him that your continued investigation, including the search of the limo, has turned up additional evidence and that you want to bring him up to speed. At that time, you can say that unknown third parties have been bugging the limo and that might convince him that it wasn’t me who recorded the conversations and snitched on him. Agreed?”

  “Sounds like a plan, Pepe. No idea if Jimmy will buy it, and he may still come after you. We’ll do our best to protect you, but you got yourself into this.”

  ~

  They left the holding cell and called the chief to get a search done of the limo. That night they had the recorder and they all sat in the conference room and listened to Jimmy Rodriguez set up the hit.

  Jimmy Rodriguez speaks - So he won’t listen to reason! We’re gonna have to make this motherfucker disappear, Pepe. I want it done in the next week. I’m tired of this shit. If he starts bringing in his own people, like the fucking Guatemalans or, worse still, the Salvadorians, then there will be a war in the street.

  We can pick him up and take him down by the lake at Whispering Hollow, kill him there and then just fade into the sunset. Everyone is used to seeing our trucks running around at night in the ‘hood, it will be no big deal. Where’s the best place to hit him, Pepe?

  Pepe Vivar - He goes to the gym on Lamar a couple of times a week. We can whack him there in the parking lot and put him in the trunk of a car and bring him out here. How do we kill him, Boss? Just put a bullet in him and throw him in the lake?

  Jimmy Rodriguez - No, we need to send a message! We lynch him, string him up or something, no let’s just tie him to a fucking truck and drag his ass! We also need to make sure he can’t be identified, so we need to cut off his fingers and take his teeth out. Can you get a team together, Pepe, not too many, say ten, and give them a hundred bucks each and tell them that we need to get rid of a guy trying to bring in South American shitheads to steal their jobs. Tell me when it’s set up.”

  “Now let’s do a couple of lines and get outta here!”

  That was the end of the tape. They had the smoking gun. Bobby Brown picked up his cell phone and called Julien Boudreaux.

  ~

  “Julien, Bobby Brown here, can you be at the Sheriff’s office tomorrow morning? We need to meet with you and your client Jimmy Rodriguez. There’s been some new developments.”

  “I was just about to call you, Bobby. My client has been held now for 36 hours and I want a hearing with the judge as we discussed. Are we on his schedule and if so, when?” replied Julien, trying to take control of the conversation.

  “I’ve spoken to the judge, Julien, we’re getting it on his schedule. Just be there tomorrow at nine!”

  Bobby hung up the phone.

  Chapter 27: Turn it off!

  The following morning Marie called Shirley Simpson, Gavin McMullen’s campaign manager. It was Shirley Simpson herself who answered the phone. Probably in her office early before her staff get in, thought Marie.

  “Shirley, this is Detective Marie Mason of Travis County Police Department. Do you own a PO box in Sarasota, Florida?”

  “Yes, I do, Detective, what’s this about?”

  “Why do you have a PO box, Shirley?”

  “Because I live there, Detective, and I prefer my mail going to a PO box and not my home. What is this about, please?”

  “Do you know why your PO box would be listed as the mailing address for an Antonella Aguilar regarding a real estate transaction for the sale of her home in Round Rock?”

  “There has obviously been some mistake, it’s probably a clerical error and they have the wrong PO box number, that’s all I can think of.”

  Marie knew that Shirley was lying, she could hear it in her voice, so she pressed forward.

  “So why didn’t you send back the closing documents for the property that were sent to this PO box over three months ago? They must have arrived in your box and you would have realized that they were important papers. Why did you not send them back, Shirley?”

  “I don’t remember any papers, Detective. If I had received them in error, I would have sent them back. Again, it must be a clerical breakdown. I wish I could help further, Detective, but I have a meeting with my staff in two minutes.”

  “Thanks for your help, Shirley. We may get back with you as our investigation continues.”

  The conversation ended and Marie knew that Shirley Simpson and her boss, Gavin McMullen, were both in this up to their eyeballs.

  ~

  While Marie was having her call with Shirley Simpson, Julien Boudreaux had arrived at the holding cell and was meeting privately with his client Jimmy Rodriguez prior to the meeting with the assistant DA.

  At nine the meeting started with Julien Boudreaux and Jimmy Rodriguez seated across the table from Bobby Brown and Tommy. Julien again tried to take control.

  “I have met with my client this morning. This has gone far enough, Bobby. My client needs to be released. His business is being adversely affected by his absence and he is suffering significant loss of income. We need to get in front of the judge so that my client can get back to his normal life. We will cooperate in every way with your investigation of Mr. Vivar, the real guilty party in all of this.”

  “As I said last night, Julien, new information has come to light. We have been continuing the search of the residence at Venture Point and of the limo that was driven by Mr. Vivar. Did you know that your limo was bugged, Jimmy? Some people trying to keep tabs on you, are they? Who might they be?”

  The blood drain from Jimmy Rodriguez’s face, and for the first time Julien Boudreaux looked flustered. Jimmy was about to say something but Julien stopped him.

  “Please stop posturing, Bobby, and tell us what new information you have,” said Julien.

  Bobby Brown looked to Tommy and Tommy laid the micro-recorder on the table.

  “Amazing little device this, made in China, of course. It’s total wireless. I can call it on my cell phone and retrieve the contents remotely, just like this.”

  Tommy dialed the number of the wireless micro-recorder using his cell and put it on speaker.

  So he won’t listen to reason! We’re going to have to make this fucker disappear Pepe. I want it done in the next week I’m tired…”

  “Turn it off! Turn the fucking thing off!” yelled Jimmy Rodriguez.

  “We need to take a brief recess. I need to talk with my client,” said Julien, desperately trying to do damage control before his client lost it completely.

  ~

  “Well, I think that went well!” said Bobby as they all sat in the conference room, having left Julien with Jimmy Rodriguez.

  “Jimmy will be terrified. He won’t want to go down for this alone. He will want to give up the people who ordered the hit so he can save his own skin. Julien will be trying to calm him down,” continued Bobby.

  “I think that we should try to keep tabs on Julien after he leaves here today. He knows now that bail will be impossible and that Pepe and Jimmy will be charged with the killing. Whoever is calling the shots here will feel completely exposed. Pepe and Jimmy will need to be protected. We need to keep them away from other prisoners,” said Chief Dunwoody.

  ~

  Julien told them that he was ready to meet again.

  Bobby Brown read the charges.

  “In addition to the previous charges of drug and weapons possession brought against you, Mr. Rodriguez, we are now bringing the additional charge of capital murder—that on or about January 15th of this year you ordered the killing of a Mr. Mike Muguara, aka Raul Hernandez, and that you actively participated in that killing.”


  Jimmy Rodriguez was returned to the cells. Bobby and Julien had a brief discussion and then Julien left.

  “What did Julien say?” asked Tommy.

  “He said he would see me in court,” laughed Bobby.

  Chapter 28: Antonella’s story

  Bill, Tommy and Marie were having a coffee in the break room after the excitement of the morning when Tommy’s cell phone rang.

  “Am I speaking with Detective Tommy Ross?” said the female caller without any introduction.

  “This is Tommy Ross.”

  “Detective Ross, I am calling from the office of the governor-elect, Gavin McMullen. The governor-elect would like to meet with you today if possible. Can you be in our offices here in South Congress at 3 p.m.?”

  “I will be there.”

  “Who was that?” said Marie, picking up on the strange expression on Tommy’s face.

  “Gavin McMullen wants to see me at three o’clock today and you’re coming with me, Marie.”

  ~

  They arrived on time for the meeting with Gavin McMullen. They were offered coffee, which they declined, and were told that Gavin McMullen was finishing up a call and would be ready to see them in a few minutes. Forty-five minutes later they were led into the conference room.

  The room was huge, dominated by a long conference table that could seat at least twenty. At the end of the room, through huge bay windows, the dome of the capitol could be seen in the distance. On the sidewall hung the state flag of Texas and the U.S. flag, and a photograph of the current governor, Raymond Shaw.

  Gavin McMullen entered the room.

  “Good to see you again, Tommy, thanks for coming. You must be Detective Marie Mason I’ve heard so much about!” said the governor-elect.

  “Y’all need some coffee or water? I can have Valerie get you what you need.”

  “We were both offered coffee, Gavin, thank you, we’re both fine,” replied Tommy.

  “Okay, let’s get started. I’d like you to meet a couple of people.”