One Murder Too Many

by Terrell Bowers

  ‘It’s the same MO – two ganglike hits; two stolen cars; and possibly the very same man doing the shooting. It looks as if someone is trying to start a war between your two gangs.’

  That caused the two bangers to rethink their positions. Victor was quicker on the uptake and directed his question to Jesse. ‘What would someone have to gain by us getting down over this?’

  ‘A dude would be hella-crazy to try something like that,’ Jesse responded.

  ‘It’s what we’ve been trying to tell you,’ Hampton advised the two men. ‘This whole thing appears to be a setup, a frame job to get you both at each other’s throats.’ His voice mellowed and he asked, ‘Can either of you think of some person or another gang who benefits from you butting heads?’

  ‘We ain’t got no beef with the Hard Corps,’ Jesse said. ‘They don’t have nothing we want.’

  ‘Same goes for us,’ Victor agreed. ‘We’ve always had an unspoken alliance with the Lobos. There’s never been bad blood between us.’

  ‘We’re asking for you to keep the peace until we can find whoever is behind these attacks,’ Grady spoke again. ‘We don’t want any more killing.’

  ‘You best find the dude responsible for these murders, Mr. Policeman,’ Victor sneered. ‘Else me an’ Ventura will do our own looking.’

  ‘Somebody is going to pay for killing Hector,’ Jesse concurred.

  Hampton, satisfied the two gang leaders were not going to kill each other, opened the door. ‘You two are free to go. Let us know if you think of anything that can help with our investigation.’

  Victor showed a smirk. ‘You’ll be the first person I call.’

  Jesse instilled the same cynical tone in his voice. ‘Yeah, awright, Mr. Policeman. We’ll put you at the top of our speed dial.’

  Once the two gang leaders were gone, Grady walked over to Hampton’s side and exhaled a sigh. ‘I believe we might have forestalled a gang war here today.’

  ‘For the time being,’ Hampton allowed. ‘We need to figure out who is behind these murders and why.’

  Kari and Jason’s efforts were fruitless. Tracking down girls connected to Dom and Juno offered no leads. They also got nothing from Dominick Westmoreland’s siblings. Benjamin claimed Dom was headstrong and liked to drink, but maintained his brother was only a mild drug user. Both he and his sister, Constance, avowed Dom was a good kid except for his habit of talking trash and the way he treated girls. They had no idea why someone had killed him, and they felt the same about Juno, because he had always been a hard worker and good influence on their brother.

  With little new material for an article, Kari decided they would call it a day. She drove up to 13th East and stopped at the Outback restaurant, a place boasting Australian style cuisine. The hostess greeted them with a smile and asked, ‘How many for dinner tonight?’

  ‘Just the two of us, love,’ Jason responded automatically.

  ‘Oh!’ she said gleefully, practically drooling over Jason. ‘Are you from Australia?’

  ‘England!’ Kari snapped, before Jason could answer, flaring up at the girl’s blatant ogling. ‘He’s British.’

  ‘Even better!’ the hostess whispered, so as to not be overheard by other patrons. ‘Brits are much more polite in public than most Aussies. I’m afraid some of them try to live up to those beer commercials about what it takes to be a real man.’

  ‘Yes,’ Kari stated frankly. ‘Being rowdy, belching, drinking too much, and acting like a juvenile delinquent in public, is not my idea of a man.’

  ‘I agree,’ the hostess replied. ‘But I do love the accent.’

  Jason flinched from Kari’s fingernails digging into his arm. ‘Do you have a table available?’ she prompted the young woman.

  ‘Right this way,’ the hostess replied, flashing her teeth and bright eyes at Jason again. Then she led them to a corner booth. ‘Will this do?’ she asked sweetly, turning to look at Jason.

  ‘It’s fine,’ Kari answered for them. ‘Thank you.’

  Fortunately, another group had come in and were waiting to be seated. The hostess bid them a good evening and hurried to greet the new customers.

  ‘I swear, Jason,’ Kari complained. ‘Women behave around you like construction workers do around a pretty girl. I’m not going to let you open your mouth in public from now on.’

  He laughed at her display of jealousy. ‘Are you telling me all out-of-country guests aren’t greeted so warmly?’

  Kari didn’t miss a beat with her reply. ‘Only the handsome ones with an Australian accent!’

  A male waiter arrived to take their order. A hot loaf of sweet brown bread was served while they were waiting. They took the time to discuss their lack of success in finding a direction to pursue that might lead them to their killer. After agreeing the investigation was stagnant without more information, Kari outlined the evening.

  ‘By the time we get to my place, I’ll have to shower and change, then hurry to get over to Dee’s for the bridal shower.’

  ‘Reggie said he had reserved a pool table at seven o’clock as Tynan is not a night person. I imagine we will finish up our games about the time you are wrapping up your party.’

  ‘Are you any good at billiard games?’

  ‘Reggie and I had almost no chance when we played against Roger.’

  Kari groaned. ‘Is there anything that man isn’t good at?’

  ‘Well, there is a rumor that he doesn’t get on with intelligent and beautiful women,’ Jason said wryly.

  The remark caused Kari to laugh without humor. It still smarted that she had been used by him and dumped like garbage afterwards. To hide the rush of shame she felt over their ruinous relationship, she said, ‘Yes, he does have a pitiful track record when it comes to long term relationships with the opposite sex.’

  ‘In essence, Roger is due some credit. He is the one who not only brought us together, but helped you land a job as a reporter. If he hadn’t been in both of our lives, we wouldn’t be together and you might still be writing death notices, awaiting a chance to display your writing talent.’

  ‘I never thanked him properly for his boost to my career. Tell me, would my sending him a bomb count as gratitude?’

  Jason laughed and Kari joined in. It was a welcome relief that the two of them were able to put Roger’s treacherous behavior toward Kari into the past.

  After a satisfying meal, Jason saw Kari home. He didn’t offer to come in on this occasion, as each of them had plans for the night. The question of dating had been answered, but the next step had not been taken. They embraced, kissed with ardor, and parted as lovers. But the troublesome conundrum still lingered. How could they ever be a couple together?

  The phone rang and Gloria’s husband answered. After a moment, he said, ‘It’s for you, babe.’

  Gloria examined Don’s expression, but he gave no indication of who it was on the line. It was unsettling to hear Tony’s voice on the other end.

  ‘Mr. Martin, what’s happened?’ she asked, trying to sound professional.

  Don wandered off toward the living room and television, apparently uninterested in her taking a business call at home.

  ‘I wouldn’t have called you, but two problems have come up.’ Tony sounded nervous and out of breath.

  ‘Tell me,’ Gloria prompted. ‘What kind of problems?’

  ‘Paul Hanson is sticking his nose in our business. Somehow he discovered we had dismissed the weapons charge against Lincoln. He caught up with me as I was leaving the office and wanted to know why I had let the man off with a warning.’

  Gloria suppressed an oath. ‘What did you tell him?’

  ‘That the circumstances didn’t warrant his being sent back to jail. I pointed out how a minor infraction like that would cost the poor man eight years in prison.’

  His excuse caused Gloria to mutter critically. ‘I’m sure that satisfied him.’

  Tony’s voice was shaky and weak. ‘I think he knows about us.’

  ‘
He doesn’t know anything,’ Gloria admonished him in a hushed voice, glancing at the hallway to the living room, concerned that Don might be able to hear. ‘If Paul had some pejorative information concerning that situation, he would come to me about it. He’d like nothing better than to derail my re-election.’

  ‘He certainly acted like he was privy to something. It was in the way he looked at me and how he talked…?’

  ‘Forget about him. Paul is always looking for an edge, anything he can use to dislodge my hold on this office. If he approaches you again, you send him to me. I know how to deal with his kind.’

  ‘I’m worried about him,’ Tony complained. ‘When he spoke of you, he inserted a number of innuendos, as if he was saying one thing and meant another. I don’t trust him.’

  ‘Of course we don’t trust him! He’s the opposition. My opponent!’ Gloria’s voice had raised until the pitch filled the room. She bit down hard, gnashing her teeth, and forcibly cooled her ire.

  ‘You said there were two problems,’ she reminded Tony. ‘What is the second one?’

  ‘Ballistics just came back from Hector’s murder,’ Tony blurted out. ‘That brain-challenged dipstick, Lincoln, used the same nine millimeter to shoot Hector as he did to kill Dom and Juno!’

  Gloria wished Don wasn’t home. The urge to scream her frustration at the top of her lungs was overwhelming. Seeking her last thread of control, she uttered a profanity.

  ‘That man couldn’t have been any more stupid if he had been trying.’

  Tony meekly wondered, ‘So the planting of the guns is out … right? I mean, now the cops know both shootings were done by the same person.’

  ‘Put the weapons and stuff from Juno and Dom’s place somewhere safe for the time being. If things get any worse, we might need them as evidence.’

  ‘Evidence?’ Tony gasped. ‘Against whom?’

  Gloria’s mind was working, turning over ideas. ‘I don’t know yet. Just do as I tell you. Keep them someplace where you can get your hands on them at a minute’s notice.’

  ‘Now the theory of a gang war is out,’ Tony said. Then he offered up an idea. ‘Hey!’ he said, suddenly pleased with himself. ‘Maybe we could implicate one of the other street gangs? What if one of them wanted the Lobos and Hard Corps to go to war?’

  Gloria shook her head. ‘Don’t start trying to think,’ she warned sternly. ‘It isn’t your strong suit.’

  ‘Yeah, but….’

  ‘Let everything cool down for now. The police brought the two gang leaders in and talked to them. They are currently cooperating in a truce. With the same gun being responsible for both shootings, they will undoubtedly start to look elsewhere.’

  ‘That’s why a third gang would work,’ Tony insisted.

  Gloria took a deep breath to maintain her calm. ‘I said to let me handle this. If you wanted to do the thinking, you should have thought about covering that rotten, filthy, accessible vent you have above your office couch!’

  The strength left Tony’s voice. ‘All right, Glory honey. I’ll put everything in a safe place. But I’ll keep them where I can get them whenever you want.’

  Gloria told him goodnight and hung up the phone.

  ‘Trouble at work, babe?’ Don asked, walking into the kitchen.

  ‘They found out the same gun was used to killed the bangers from both gangs. It seems as if someone is trying to start a gang war.’

  ‘You’re talking about the attack on the judge’s son and his roommate, plus that gang member from the Lobos?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I read the article and it sounds as if someone might have killed Dominick Westmoreland by mistake.’

  ‘Either that, or Dominick and his friend were into blackmail or something.’

  Don frowned. ‘Blackmail?’

  Gloria shrugged. ‘Or something. Those two had come into a lot of money lately and the police can’t figure out where it came from. No telling what kind of game they were playing, but they obviously crossed someone who didn’t like it.’

  ‘Do the police have any leads at all?’

  Gloria didn’t often share information with Don, but it was common ground. Don worked for Questar, the natural gas supplier for the valley. He spent most of his time supervising telephone reps, and that meant interacting and conversing with customers and employees. These attacks were probably a hot topic around the office.

  ‘It’s all pretty vague right now,’ Gloria replied after a moment or two. ‘Someone shot at the Sentinel reporter and that could be linked to her visit to the judge’s son. She went to see him the day he was killed. The police really haven’t figured anything out yet.’

  ‘I hope it doesn’t keep you awake all night,’ Don said. ‘You can’t hold yourself responsible for every criminal act that takes place. It’s too much for any one person.’

  The words were spoken sincerely, but Gloria was worried that Don might one day guess she was cheating on him. Their time together had grown more uncomfortable and strained lately. With Tony to respond to her needs, Gloria had not been responsive to Don’s advances and their love had waned to mere cohabitation. A convenient headache or worry about a pending case was often her excuse for not allowing him his husbandly prerogatives. They each led their own lives … and now this.

  Guilt washed over her like a cold rain, imbuing her with regret over the deaths of three young men. She had not intended that anyone should get hurt over her affair. If she could get through this and win re-election, she would file for divorce and surrender however much of her worth the court decided. It would be far more preferable to give up material things than to end up behind bars.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  KARI STAYED AT Dee’s house after the bridal shower ended, to help clean up.

  ‘You don’t have to stick around,’ Dee contended. ‘I’m sure you have much better ways to expend your energy.’ She winked salaciously.

  ‘You’re hopeless, you know that?’

  Dee feigned disappointment.

  ‘I’m worried about you, kiddo,’ she said. ‘You should have held out for a guy who resides on our continent to fall in love with. Where’s the fun in having a sweetheart if you remain celibate for the rest of your life?’

  ‘We do have a major enigma in our relationship,’ Kari admitted while helping to clear the table. ‘Jason doesn’t want to give up his job and neither do I. Unless someone invents a transporter that can zip one of us across the ocean in the blink of an eye, we’re going to be spending eleven months of the year apart.’

  ‘Can’t he join the police force over here?’

  ‘It’s not just his job, Dee. His whole life is back in England.’

  Dee picked up a remaining chocolate donut from a pastry platter; it was giant size, nearly as big as a dinner plate. She wrapped it in a napkin and stuck it in the box she used to carry her lunch to work. At Kari’s inquisitive look, she explained.

  ‘I’m cutting back on sweets. My hubby has noticed that my love handles have handles of their own. He is also battling his own bulge, so we agreed to try and lose a few pounds. He is giving up fast-food lunches and I vowed to not have more than one pastry a day.’

  ‘One five thousand calorie pastry,’ Kari observed.

  ‘Hey, I’m doing by best,’ Dee was playfully defensive. ‘It’s like I told him last night. He promised to marry me for better or worse, so he shouldn’t complain that he is getting more of me to enjoy every year.’

  ‘And what did he say to that?’

  Dee snorted. ‘He said ‘I married you for better, ’cause I didn’t think you could get any worse!’’

  Kari laughed at her jest. ‘You’re so bad!’

  Dee exhibited a wide grin. ‘So where is your sleuth boyfriend tonight?’ she queried. Then quickly added, ‘With whom you have yet to experience consummate bliss!’

  ‘He is playing pool with Reggie and Tynan – Reggie’s grandfather.’

  ‘I would point out how you shouldn’t share what little
time you have with the Brit, but seeing as how you aren’t getting any loving, I don’t suppose you are missing all that much.’

  Kari sighed. ‘Dee, you still have the dirtiest mind of anyone I know.’

  Her friend grinned. ‘You should get around more, kiddo; you’d see that I’m pretty normal.’

  ‘If that’s true, the population’s moral compass is worse off than I ever imagined,’ Kari retorted.

  It was shortly before ten when Tynan announced he was ready to call it a night. Jason told Reggie he was going to drop in to see Kari, so the three of them parted company. He figured she would be home by this time and drove to her apartment. The two of them could discuss how their evenings had gone, then he would leave for Reggie’s place with the taste of her sweet kiss on his lips.

  Jason parked in the visitor’s lot, got out, buttoned up his suit jacket and locked the rental car. As he approached Kari’s building, he spotted a shadowy figure skulking in the shadows, near the entryway door. The security light wasn’t very bright, but the man appeared to be dressed entirely in black and wearing a ski mask.

  ‘Hold on!’ Jason shouted, rushing to intercept the man, before he could flee for the sanctuary of the night.

  The figure sprinted away, but wasn’t exceptionally fast on his feet. Jason took a sharp angle and cut him off. ‘Police!’ he called out, moving to intercept him.

  Instead of changing direction and trying to outrun Jason, the man suddenly veered and ran right at him. Jason slowed down and spread his arms, ready to block the man from getting past. Trying to stop a runaway truck on a steep hill would have been less of a chore.

  The man lowered his shoulder and slammed flush against Jason’s chest.

  The force of the collision knocked Jason over backward. With his arms wrapped about the man, both men landed on the ground with the man on top of Jason. The wind was partially driven from his lungs but Jason recovered as the brute scrambled out of his grasp and tried to get to his feet. Reaching out, Jason managed to catch hold of the man’s ankles with both hands and drag him back down.