Am I the Killer? - A Luca Mystery - Book 1

by Dan Petrosini

  “Ya gotta know how to talk to folks, J,” Luca said. “It comes in handy from time to time.”

  “So how you wanna play this?”

  “Get on the horn with Jessica Johns. Make it like you’re with the, let’s say the New Jersey, ah, Forfeiture Division, or something. You know, nothing formal, just windmill her. Use your cell, but don’t worry, I already checked. She ain’t got caller ID.”

  Cremora took her number from Luca. “Okay, what’s the angle?”

  Luca sketched out the way he envisioned things, and Cremora picked up the phone. Luca sat on the edge of his partner’s desk, silently coaching with his hands as Cremora played his role. JJ finished the four-minute call by promising to call her before the paperwork was going to be filed with the courts.

  Luca leapt up. “How’d she sound?”

  Cremora said, “I don’t like this shit, Frank.”

  “Necessary evil, besides, she’s gonna be fine. What’d she say?”

  “Shit her pants, is what,” Cremora said. “When I told her we were filing to take the house, she started begging. Said she couldn’t understand how it could happen. Anyway, you better get moving before she gets a lawyer involved. She was freaked out.”

  Chapter 37

  Jimmy Johns was sitting on a picnic bench smoking a cigarette with another inmate when a guard approached. “Let’s go, Johns. Someone’s here to see you.”

  Johns coughed. “Now?”

  “Yep. Stick ’em out.”

  The guard cuffed his hands and escorted him to an area where prisoners met with their lawyers. When Johns spied Luca waiting, he said, “Geez, not this guy.”

  The guard started to cuff him to the table, but Luca waved him off. “It’s okay.”

  “You sure?”

  Luca nodded as the guard left, wondering if it was just the orange jumpsuit that made Johns look worse than he’d ever seen him.

  “So how’s it going, Jimmy?”

  “Look, I ain’t got to fucking talk with you.”

  “Whatever you say, my friend, but if you don’t, it’s not gonna be good for your sister.”

  “You keep her the fuck out of this. She ain’t got nothing to do with this or anything.”

  “Just a couple of questions, that’s all, and if everything’s good, she’s off the hook.”

  Johns coughed. “What fucking hook? You’re full of shit, Luca.”

  Luca got up. “Have it your way.”

  “Hold on now. What the fuck you want, anyway?”

  “It’s real simple, Jimmy boy. I wanna know what happened to William Wyatt.”

  “I told you, I had nothing to do with that.”

  Luca leaned forward. “Yeah, you can say what you want, but I don’t believe you. You got a problem with the truth, but you know what? Funny thing is, the truth always seeps out.”

  Johns silently lit a smoke and had a coughing fit.

  Luca leaned back in his chair. “You better lay off the butts before you cough up a lung.”

  Johns laid the butt on the ash tray.

  “So let’s see, Jimmy, you said you got Wyatt’s credit card, the one you used at 7-Eleven, from some guy.”

  The prisoner picked up the butt again. “Yeah, that’s right. I bought it—happens all the time.”

  Luca clasped his hands. “But you don’t know who you bought it from.”

  Johns took a deep drag and blew the smoke at Luca. “I don’t remember. I was probably jacked up.”

  Luca spread his hands. “Then the guy we picked up with Wyatt’s license fingers you as the supplier.”

  “I told you, I don’t remember. He gotta be wrong.”

  Luca nodded. “Maybe, but here’s the thing, Jimmy, guess what we found at your sister’s house?”

  Johns suppressed a cough, licked his lips, and took a drag. “How the fuck should I know?”

  Luca slammed his palm on the table. “William Wyatt’s wallet, that’s what!”

  “So fucking what?”

  “I’ll tell you what I think. I think you went to break into Wyatt’s house. Maybe you thought it was empty, or maybe you just didn’t give a damn. He surprised you, and you beat him to death. That’s what I think.”

  Johns clenched his teeth and reached for the back of his shoulder. As he massaged it, he said, “Look, man, I took the wallet, okay? But that’s all. I didn’t do nothing to that guy.”

  “That’s good, Jimmy, coming clean.” Luca beckoned with his hand. “So tell me how it went down.”

  “It was nothin’. I was out back and saw the door open. So I went in. Saw a wallet, snatched it, and took off.”

  “Come on, Jimmy, you expect me to believe that?”

  “You believe whatever the hell you want. That’s the truth.”

  “Yeah? Well up until a few minutes ago, the truth was you bought it.”

  “Look, I’m telling you the way it went down.”

  “Except you left out the part where you bashed his head.”

  Johns shook his head and cleared his throat. “No man. I had nothin’ to do with that.”

  Luca wagged his head. “You really expect me to believe that?”

  “It’s the truth.”

  “Look, we know you did it. Now, you may not have meant to kill Wyatt, pal, but that’s exactly what happened.”

  “You ain’t got nothing on me,” Johns said.

  “Maybe, but we got something on Jessica.”

  Johns’ face ticked as he pushed his glasses up. “What? What the fuck you got? You think my little sister offed this guy?” Then he smiled. “You know what? You’re fucking crazy.” Johns laughed. “Yeah, Jess is some badassed killer.”

  Luca leaned back and said, “Close enough for hand grenades, pal, but not quite it. You see, Jessica’s obstructed a case, a homicide case.”

  “You’re fucking nuts.”

  “See how nuts I am when your sister’s sitting in the next cell.”

  Johns’ eyes went wild and he jumped out of his seat.

  “Sit the fuck down and listen to me!”

  Johns glared at Luca.

  “I said sit down. Now!”

  Johns rolled a shoulder, winced, and complied.

  Luca pointed at Johns. “Your sister is gonna be indicted for obstruction for hiding vital evidence in her home.”

  “Come on, she didn’t even know it was there.” Johns stubbed out his butt.

  “That’s what she’d like us to believe, but we believe she hid it to protect you. She’s been protecting you her whole life, ain’t she?”

  “This is bullshit, and you know it.”

  Luca shook his head. “It’s as serious as it gets, James.” Luca leaned back and fingered his tie. “Now there is something you can do. You know, we can make deal, like what you did on your other case.”

  Johns tapped another cigarette out. “What the fuck you want from me?”

  “The truth, nothing but the truth. You confess to the Wyatt murder, and we drop any charges against your sister.”

  Johns nearly spit out his cigarette. “What? That’s fucking blackmail, man. I didn’t do nothing to that guy.”

  Luca paused to digest Johns’ adamancy. “Come on, Jimmy, you don’t want Jessica to go to jail, do you?”

  “I told you to leave her the fuck out of this.”

  “Nothing would make me happier. You tell me what happened with Wyatt, and she’s free as a bird.”

  “How many fucking times I gotta tell you, I didn’t do nothing to him.”

  Luca was surprised that Johns wouldn’t crack. “So, I guess you’re sticking to your story and sending your sister to the slammer for a year or two?”

  “Look man, I ain’t saying nothing. I feel for Jess, but you’re bluffing. She’s lily white, man. No judge is gonna give her time for this trumped-up shit you’re pushing.”

  “Guess with all your time in front of judges you’ve become an expert.”

  “You’re trying to scam me, bitch.”

  “So, y
ou’re gonna keep your mouth shut?”

  “Damn right I am.”

  “So you’re comfortable letting this play out and taking the chance she goes away?”

  Johns jutted his jaw and nodded.

  Luca pushed away from the table. “Okay, if that’s your call.” Luca started to get up but sat back down. “Oh, there’s one other thing.”

  Johns coughed, flopping his hands onto his lap.

  “Your sister’s got another problem, and this one, well, there’s no doubt about it.”

  Johns leaned forward. “What kinda bullshit you throwin’ now?”

  “You see, since we found all of your, how do I say it, stuff, in her house, you know, the wallets, the pocketbooks, the drug paraphernalia, and so forth, and well, in the State of New Jersey we have ourselves a forfeiture law. And what that means, my friend, is that your sister’s house is going to be seized.”

  Johns shot of his seat again. “That’s total bullshit, man! You fucking cops are jerking us around! You can’t do that.”

  “Sit down before it gets even worse, Jimmy!”

  Johns’ eyes narrowed behind his granny glasses, and for a second, Luca thought he was going to attack, but Johns sat back down.

  “Look here, it may not seem fair, but get over it. The law’s the law. And you know what, Jimmy boy? The seizures bring us money to keep punks like you off the street.”

  Johns’ hands were trembling as he lit a cigarette. He inhaled deeply, choking as he exhaled. “This is fucked up, man, really fucked up. You can’t do this to her. The house is all she’s got. Where the fuck she gonna go?”

  Luca softened his voice. “Look, Jimmy, I agree it seems crazy, but that’s what’s going to happen. Even though Jessica didn’t do anything, the law’s the law, and the fact is this program brings in money, and the system wants to get its hands on the assets. I don’t have to tell you there’s no sympathy when money’s involved.”

  “Shit’s stacked against the little guy. We’re fucking powerless.”

  “Most of the time, Jimmy, but here, right now, you have a chance to change things. Make a stand for your sister. Turn the tables and help her out for a change. All you got to do is tell me what happened, and she’s safe as a baby.”

  “I didn’t do nothing. I swear, man. I wanna talk to my fuckin’ lawyer!”

  Luca got up. “Talk to anyone you want, but you better move your ass. I’ll be back in two, three days max if you feel like talking. Otherwise it’ll be too late to stop the process, and Jess’s house is a goner.”

  Chapter 38

  Johns waited in line for his turn to use one of the two pay phones. He’d stewed the two days since Luca’s visit waiting for his eligibility to make a call. He joined the chorus of inmates telling callers to hurry up as he moved to the front of the line.

  Johns grabbed the phone and dug out a quarter from his jumpsuit. He jammed it into the slot and dialed. Jessica quickly accepted the collect call.

  “Jess, what’s going on?”

  “What’d ya mean, Jimmy?”

  Johns hacked away.

  “Jimmy, you okay? You sound terrible.”

  “Some detective came around and said you was in trouble. Said you could lose the house.”

  “I know, I’m really scared, Jimmy.”

  “Did you talk to Cresi?”

  “No, should I?”

  “I’ll handle this. No fucking way they’re gonna drag you into this.”

  “What’ll I do if they take the house, Jimmy? I don’t have anywhere to go.”

  “I said I’ll fucking handle it. Now I gotta go.”

  Johns put his finger on the clicker and scooped out his quarter and stuck it back in. As he started dialing, the next guy in line put his hand on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s my turn.”

  Johns threw on elbow. “Fuck you! I gotta call my lawyer.”

  “I don’t give a shit who you gotta call!”

  “Hey man, my sister’s ass in on the line. I gotta make the call. I’ll give you five smokes.”

  “Make it ten and you got a deal.”

  Johns barked at Cresi’s secretary to accept the collect call, and she transferred the call to her boss.

  “Cresi here.”

  “Yeah, well it’s Johns here, and I got a big fucking problem.”

  Cresi liked the way that sounded. “Well, I guess so, being in prison.”

  “Don’t be a fucking wise guy.”

  “What’s the problem?”

  Johns cleared his throat. “Well, that detective Luca came around saying some bullshit that my sister was in trouble and all.”

  “What kinda trouble?”

  “Well, for one, they said she obstructed things, which is bullshit, and then they said they was gonna take her house under the forfeiture laws. That sounds like bullshit.”

  “Well, I’d have to get more information on the obstruction charge, but it’s entirely possible she could have her house seized. The contraband in your apartment gives them grounds.”

  “What the fuck you talking about? She had nothing to do with it.”

  “Well, you dragged her in, Jimmy, and New Jersey is desperate for money, and you can be sure they’ll be aggressive.”

  “What can you do?”

  “Me? Nothing.”

  “What d’ya mean, nothing?”

  “Once the state starts proceedings, it’s a steamroller. You’ll never stop it. Nothing anybody can do. It’s hopeless.”

  “Well, this Detective Luca, he said if I told him some things he wanted to know, he could help.”

  “Look, if you got something they really want, you never know, maybe they could do something. It’s worth the attempt to keep your sister in her house.”

  Johns coughed. “You think so?”

  “I’ve seen it all. Look, I gotta run.”

  Chapter 39

  After showing his credentials, Luca waited to be escorted to see Johns. The detective wondered if Johns was going to take the bait when the guard behind the window called him over. “Hey, Detective, the prisoner’s in the infirmary.”

  “What? What for?”

  “How the hell would I know? Half the time they fake it to get out of working.”

  Luca nodded as he processed the news. “As long as it’s nothing contagious, I still gotta see him. It’s an important case I’m following, and time is of the essence.”

  “Your call, Detective. I’ll get someone to take you down.”

  The prison’s dingy medical ward was something they hadn’t upgraded. A drab beige color added to the hopeless feel the place had. Johns was moaning as he lay on a thin, black pad set on a steel bed. Luca studied him as he approached. Johns looked different, but Luca noticed it was the first time he saw him without his granny glasses and left it at that.

  “What’s going on, Jimmy?”

  Johns winced. “Fucking pain in the back of my shoulder.”

  “They giving you something for it?”

  Johns coughed meekly. “Fucking aspirin, man, it ain’t doing shit.”

  “I guess they gotta be careful what they dish out.”

  Johns nodded. “They’ll give me somethin’ harder after the x-rays.”

  “Look, I know you ain’t feeling too good right now, but like I told you, if we’re gonna stop—”

  Johns raised the arm that wasn’t cuffed to the bed. “I’ll give you what you want, but nothin’ better happen to Jessy. You hear?”

  “Don’t worry, Jimmy, her house will be safe.”

  “And none of this obstruction bullshit, either.”

  “Sure. She’ll be in the clear.”

  “I’m telling you, man, you better keep your word.”

  Luca quickly yanked out a pocket recorder. “I’ll put it all on tape.”

  Chapter 40

  A sky that had turned to dishwater couldn’t put a damper on Luca as he breezed into the precinct. He patted the lump in his breast pocket and smiled as he turned the corner into his office.
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  “Guess what I got us for Christmas?”

  Cremora peered over his reading glasses. “Not underwear again?”

  Luca whipped out the recorder, placed it on his partner’s desk, and rolled over his chair. Luca smiled. “Nope, my boy, I got us Jimmy Johns confessing to the Wyatt murder.”

  “What?”

  “The plan worked, bro. Ole Luca’s a genius. Johns sang like Sinatra to get his sister off the hook.” Luca looked both ways and lowered his voice. “Not that she was in—anyway, that’s between us girls.”

  Cremora grabbed the recorder. “I gotta hear this.”

  When Luca clicked the recorder off, he said, “Pretty sweet, huh?”

  “I donno, Luc. It kinda seemed like you were leading him a bit.”

  “What d’ya mean? You heard him. He said he beat Wyatt over the head.”

  “I know, but—”

  “But what? It’s the same way we always do. Weren’t you listening?”

  Cremora nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s just hard to believe it after all this time.”

  “I can’t believe it either. We finally got him!” Luca high-fived his partner.

  “It was all you, bro. But I gotta admit, I thought you were going off the deep end again.”

  Luca said, “Well, you weren’t alone.”

  “So what’s next? I mean, Hill’s been put away for this.”

  “School me. Stanley’s going to freak out,” Luca said. “Man, I’m gonna enjoy playing this for him.”

  “You gotta play your cards right here. You make a lot of noise and embarrass him or that egomaniac Weinburg, and—”

  “Yeah, I know. Much as I’d like to jam it up his—

  Captain Gesso blew into the room like a tropical storm. “I told you to keep away from Johns. Now we’ve got some mess on our hands.”

  “Come on, Sarge, the Hill kid didn’t do it. I wouldn’t call that a mess.”

  Gesso shook his head. “You’re right, Luca.”

  “You mean again?”

  Gesso’s eyes flashed fire. “Don’t push it!”

  Luca put a hand up and spun the recorder with the other.

  “Okay, let’s hear what you got.”

  Gesso took his hands off the desk when the tape ended and nodded slowly.