DEAD MAN'S JUSTICE - A Place of Evil (Stone & McLeish Thriller Series of Stories Book 2)

by Gregory Stenson

  Bloom blackness and pain.

  ‘He’s telling me where he is, something about warehouses, he sounds in a bad way.’

  Bloom could hear Stone talking, like he was far away and yet he was right there in his ear. He couldn't respond, the words wouldn't come, each breath felt like his lungs were full of broken glass.

  ‘Tell me what you see Bloom, look around.’

  To move a muscle caused him excruciating pain, he managed to turn his head and stretched his eyes to look down the street and saw a bridge.

  ‘I see a bridge...’ Those were the last words he spoke. Bloom dropped the phone, it clattered on the ground. Stone heard a groan and then nothing more.

  Stone racked his brain. Mac wasn’t as familiar with New York as Stone was so he couldn't help much, he continued to drive back to the street over Pulaski Bridge, where they’d just come from. ‘The bank’s on a one way street.’ He figured someone must have followed him from the bank. No more than ten to fifteen minutes had elapsed since they left and the traffic was heavy. ‘It’s been what? Fifteen minutes tops,’ Stone started to talk aloud. ‘He could either have turned off to the left or the right, somewhere quiet. The last thing he said was he could see the bridge.’

  ‘That would have to be the Queensboro, and if he could see it then they must have turned left,’ said Mac. Mac had great spatial awareness that came from navigating through enemy territory at night without radio contact with just a map and reference points marked on it to guide him to a target.

  ‘Yeah, it would be getting close to the river and there are warehouses down there,’ Stone agreed.

  Mac pushed it as fast as he could through the evening rush. They passed the bank on their left and after another five minutes along the same road Mac hung a left saying he had a hunch. The side road had become much less busy and after a hundred yards or so there were only offices and studio type buildings and almost all were all dark now that the time was after five.

  ‘If I’ve got this figured right Brad, down one of the side roads on the right you will see the bridge at the end so keep your eyes peeled,’ said Mac. He drove hastily, he knew that every second was precious if they were to get to Bloom in time but slowed a little each time they approached a crossing.

  Stone’s eyes never left the target and after two side roads he shouted ‘S-T-O-P. Look 5th St, it must be here.’

  Mac hit the brakes, they skidded along but Mac kept the speed up and he yanked the handbrake and the Taurus did a one eighty turn nearly siding the cars parked at the side of the road. He threw the Ford into the street and they saw the Queensboro Bridge in the distance.

  ‘It’s got to be this one mate, got to be.’

  ‘There’s a reason someone chose this road, look how quiet it is. There...ahead,’ Stone shouted.

  ‘What?’ Mac was driving and concentrating so much he didn’t see the silver Mercedes salon parked diagonally on the left side outside an old warehouse. The door of the Mercedes was still open and at the side lying on the ground with the lid still up, was the empty attaché case.

  Mac slowed down as they approached the car and at the same time they both saw a dark shape, someone lying prone on the ground. Mac pulled up sharp and Stone got out first and knelt down beside Bloom’s body.

  From force of habit Mac looked all around the car and the surrounding area as he got out, you don’t want to walk into an ambush, he thought. There was one building a little way down the road with a light on in an upstairs room. Mac thought he saw someone at the window, he couldn't make out if it was a man or a woman but whoever it was moved away when he looked up.

  Bloom was lying in a pool of blood, and was bleeding from his mouth. He had blood on his hand that was right next to his cell phone just a few inches away on the cold sidewalk.

  Stone put a finger on the side of Bloom’s neck, he couldn't feel a pulse, he looked up at Mac standing on the other side of the body. He shook his head.

  ‘He’s gone?’

  Stone stood back up, ‘Yeah. Murdered for the money, it’s got Shadow’s prints all over it.’

  They heard a siren in the distance and turned to look back up the road, nothing unusual in this city, but seconds later a black and white came into view. Its blue, red and white flashing lights lit up the dark buildings as it screamed towards them.

  ‘We’ve got company buddy. Who called them?’

  Mac nodded in the direction of the brightly lit window across the street. ‘I've got a good idea,’ said Mac.

  Stone and Mac stood still next to Bloom’s body. There was nothing they could do, it looked bad but Stone quickly sifted through the events since leaving the bank to make sure that they had an alibi, and was satisfied that the cell phone call log would put them somewhere else at the time of the shooting.

  Two officers alighted gingerly from the squad car and used their open doors as cover until they’d secured the scene. They rested one arm on top of the door with the other bracing their gun hands.

  The shorter, stockier of the two cops ordered them to, ‘Step towards the back wall and raise your hands, NOW.’

  Stone and Mac complied and they turned their heads away slightly from the glare of the spotlight that the driver had trained on them.

  The other cop, a taller, skinnier cop about the same size as Mac approached them slowly and looked down at the body, all the time keeping his gun pointed right at them.

  ‘Is he dead?’ he asked.

  ‘Yeah. His name’s Bloom, he’s a lawyer, we know him,’ said Stone. As he had his hands raised Stone noticed that he had blood on the cuff of his white shirt and his grey overcoat also. Mac saw him looking at it.

  ‘That’s nothing mate, we just got here.’

  The cop grew agitated.

  ‘Hey, no talking, you’s just answer the questions.’

  ‘Look. We came to see if we could help him...’ began Mac, he was going to have his say.

  ‘I said no talking Mister...’

  ‘How you gonna know what happened if we don’t tell you. He was dead when we got here a few minutes ago. He called us...’

  ‘I’m warning you wise ass, what’s your name?’

  ‘Well it’s not wise ass okay. It’s Ewen McLeish, but you can call me Mac.’ Mac’s disrespect for authority was legendary; it nearly had him busted out of the army on more than one occasion. When he’d done wrong, he would admit it, when he knew he was right, his belligerence knew no bounds.

  ‘Officer, my name is Brad Stone. We’ll do what we can to help you but Mac is right, the guy called us and we got over here as fast as we could. He was dead when we got here.’

  The big cop, Officer Buzzetti, told them to turn around and to put their hands against the wall and to spread their legs. He frisked them both and found nothing.

  Officer Ortiz stayed back at the vehicle and radioed through their names to run a check which was standard procedure. He was told to wait while they checked so he rejoined Buzzetti near the body.

  ‘I’m running a check. CSI should be here anytime now.’ Ortiz said to Buzzetti. Ortiz then checked around the Mercedes looking for anything unusual and made a note of the plate number and the empty attaché case lying open on the ground.

  ‘What’s this?’ he asked.

  Stone looked at Mac, they made a telepathic agreement to keep schtum and both said ‘No idea.’

  Ortiz recorded their response but it was obvious from his facial contortions that he didn’t believe a word they said. Buzzetti walked around the body, he’d put his gun away and was hitting the sides of his chest in an attempt to feel warmer. The temperature was dropping fast and the windshields were beginning to frost over. Stone and Mac were pacing on the spot at the cold beneath their feet from the ground.

  ‘So. Let me get this straight. You know who the guy is. You say you got here and he was dead. You stashed the gun when you saw us...’

  ‘Nice try officer. We’re not saying anything more ‘til we get a new lawyer,’ said Stone.

>   ‘Yeah? Why d’ya need a new one wise guy?’

  ‘Cos you're looking at the old one.’

  Ortiz looked down at Bloom on the ground and had trouble thinking of a snappy answer. He was saved when the precinct called him back on the radio. He strode across to the vehicle and told Buzetti to keep an eye on them. He picked up the mic and all he said was ‘Ortiz here...yeah,...Oh yeah? Yeah...over and out.’

  CSI arrived right on cue with three back up officers in a van behind them to secure the scene. They poured out of the vehicle and began to erect posts and stretch incident tape around the vicinity of the body and car. One minute later an ambulance turned up and reversed up to the yellow barrier tape.

  Ortiz took his gun back out and addressed Stone and Mac in an authoritative tone. Buzzetti backed him up.

  ‘Mr. Bradley Stone. Seems you're still under suspicion for murder of a ...’ he checked his pad, ‘Guy Randall, we’re taking you in, and McLeish, given the present circumstances finding you with a dead body and no satisfactory explanation, we're taking you in as well.’

  Mac couldn’t let the moment pass, ‘You wouldn't know a satisfactory explanation if it...’

  ‘Do as the Officer says McLeish, get in the car,’ snapped Buzzetti.

  Mac felt a push on his shoulder and squared up to Buzzetti, their eyes were level, neither budged nor flinched; Buzzetti put his hand on his weapon. Made no difference to Mac, in a different situation Mac would not have hesitated to drop him.

  ‘Mac!!!’ He heard Stone’s desperate call from the other side of the car to defuse the situation.

  Mac sensibly had second thoughts and slid into the car.

  Chapter 39

  Every few minutes Eduardo Ramirez couldn't help himself from checking the street outside his house to look for a parked car or anyone lurking around suspiciously or anything unusual. He had insisted on taking his daughter Conchita to school in the mornings and also collected her at the end of afternoon lessons. His wife Maria was surprised that her husband had decided to take a few days leave, it wasn’t like him at all, she thought, although it was nice to have him around. He usually worked so much she had forgotten what it was like.

  He couldn't relax.

  He’d checked the security alarm at least ten times, he’d put extra bolts on the front and back doors and Maria had mentioned a number of times about him keeping his weapon in his shoulder holster whilst at home, telling him it wasn’t right when Conchita was at home. ‘Force of habit’, he told her.

  He was lying.

  Ramirez was terrified that Maloof would carry out his threats to harm his family for his failure to get Stone off the street and he had to be ready.

  His cell phone rang, he jumped a mile, his heart was pounding in his chest but calmed down when he saw who was calling, it was Jerry Tamola, one of his old partners at the precinct. Loyalties go a long way back and he and Jerry watched each other’s backs. Tamola was ten years older, in his mid fifties, a tall, tough and reliable cop who trained Ramirez when he was a rookie. Ramirez, despite the hard man image, was a good cop and was well respected around the force. His methods were a little unorthodox, but they got results.

  Usually.

  All the guys, Tamola especially, knew that his suspension was a bum deal and they wanted to make sure that Lt. Grolnik gave him another chance before Internal Affairs got to work on him.

  Tamola had heard chatter around the office about Stone being picked up for another murder and he knew that he and Finch weren’t exactly bosom buddies. Tamola was giving Ramirez the head’s up, telling him that Stone was being held over at 108th precinct on 50th Avenue.

  ‘Where’s Finch,’ he asked.

  ‘He’s not back yet, been on a B&E over in Laurelton.’

  ‘I need to get over there. Jerry. Look there’s something I haven’t told you, I’ve told nobody, someone’s putting the squeeze on me, trying to get me to do things. They’ve threatened Maria and Conchita, I’m not proud of it but that’s why I’ve been canned. I have to...’

  ‘Who is it Eddy? Tell us who it is and we’ll...’

  ‘I can’t, not yet, I’m in too deep, if I can just get to Stone before Finch, I might be able to get this guy off my back.’

  ‘What d’ya need Eddy? Say it.’

  ‘Could ya put a man on my house while I’m out? Just for a few hours?’

  ‘Sure Eddy, it’s done, you leave it to me. If Finch gets in I’ll stall him as long as I can.’

  ‘I owe ya Jerry .’

  ‘Forget it.’

  Ramirez made good time and arrived at the 108th precinct before Finch and luckily the guys there hadn’t heard about his suspension. If colleagues know you they don’t ask to see badges. He managed to talk to Ortiz and Buzzetti and told them about the ongoing investigation on Stone for the Guy Randall murder. They bought it and allowed him access to Stone and Mac who were being held in one of their interview rooms. He was seconds from reaching the room when Finch arrived on the scene.

  ‘What the ...what are you doing here Ramirez?’

  ‘Button it Finch, I need to do this, I can’t tell you why, just trust me will ya?’

  Finch played things by the book, he was relatively inexperienced, that’s why he was put with Ramirez in the first place, he knew that to squeal on him could affect his career. Loyalty and respect was considered more important than right or wrong when it came to your senior partner.

  ‘Off the record, I want you to know that I think you're doing the wrong thing, I know you're in a tough place right now but...’

  ‘Save it Finch, I’m going in there.’

  Stone and Mac were sitting in the interview room wondering when all the bullshit would end. First Guy Randall, and now Bloom. ‘Things usually come in threes,’ he said to himself, ‘who’s next?’

  Neither of them was supposed to be in New York. Mac had had to cancel a visit back to the U.K., even though it was winter, he’d thought about catching up on some skiing with his sister in France. Stone had already cut short his precious time with Laura and was anxious get back up to see her. He’d promised to be there for her T.V. interview. Each day and each crazy diversion robbed him and Mac of their time.

  Their faces dropped and their eyes couldn't believe who walked through the door of interview room three. Ramirez stepped in with a smug smile on his face, followed by Finch who looked like he could kill Ramirez.

  A guard officer stood by the door as usual and Ramirez threw a file onto the table as he sat down. In his hurry to leave the house and get over to the precinct Ramirez hadn’t had time to put on a suit, he was dressed casually in jeans and a T shirt, the matchstick was nowhere in sight, and he had forgotten that he’d left a cigarette by his left ear.

  ‘On holiday Ramirez?’ Stone got a shot in first. It was not going to be like the last time he promised himself.

  ‘Never mind about that. Can’t keep out of trouble can you, there’s no smoke without fire Stone. I knew you’d screw up sooner or later. Guess you’d kill for a good lawyer, hey Stone?’

  ‘Funny, very funny. You going to switch the machine on Ramirez? I want all your wise cracks on tape.’

  Finch, as per norm, said little, Stone and Mac couldn't have known why, otherwise they would have refused to cooperate, but they knew he was a decent cop and left him out of the banter. Finch got up to leave the room without telling Ramirez why.

  ‘Where are you going?’ he asked.

  ‘The John’ he said as he was leaving the room. He returned a few minutes later.

  ‘Now,’ said Ramirez. ‘Another day and another dead guy. Suppose you tell us what happened. Try the truth, it saves time.’

  ‘Okay. Fine. I’m going to tell you exactly what happened, then in ten minutes time, we’re going to walk out the door, we haven’t been charged yet, you know why? You have nothing, just like the last time.’

  ‘Get to it Stone.’ Ramirez was losing his patience already, he was fired up, Maloof’s threats were never far from his
thoughts.

  ‘At four p.m. we met Bloom at the Chase Bank. We were asked, that’s Mac and me, to collect something for Mrs. Randall. Bloom insisted on coming with us, we had no idea why...’

  ‘What was it? What did she ask you to fetch for her?’

  Stone hesitated for a second, knowing it would give Ramirez possible motive.

  ‘One million U.S. dollars. Her husband had had it stashed there for him after the kidnap.’

  ‘She trusted you two to get that for her? What kidnap?’

  ‘Forget about that for now. Anyway as soon as we had access to the safety deposit box, Bloom took the money out of the box and transferred it to his attaché case. He then left the bank in a big hurry leaving us behind, saying nothing.’

  ‘Just like that?’

  ‘Yeah. Just like that.’

  ‘And...’

  ‘There was nothing we could do so we headed for home.’

  ‘So how come you were found standing over Bloom’s dead body?’

  ‘He called me, he sounded like he was in a bad way, he said he was in some dark back street and that he could see a bridge, somehow we figured out where he was and when we got there... it was too late, he was dead. Then Officer Dibble turned up.’

  Stone’s sarcasm was pushing Ramirez to the edge.

  ‘That’s it? That’s your story?’

  ‘It’s not a story.’

  Ramirez stood up. He stretched the moment thinking he was making Stone nervous.

  ‘Let me tell you how I see it Stone. I think you wanted the money for yourselves. Bloom spoilt your plans. He got you pissed when he disappeared on you. Probably had a right too, being the Randall’s lawyer and all.’ He paced around for dramatic effect. ‘You followed him...’

  ‘No,’ chipped Stone.

  ‘You ran him down and forced him into a dark road where you knew there’d be no witnesses.’ Ramirez leaned onto the table and raised his voice further. ‘You told him to give you the money, and when he resisted, you shot him.’

  ‘So what did we do with the money? The officers searched our car and found nothing. Where’d we hide the weapon? You won’t find it. You know why? Cos we didn’t have one,’ said Mac.