5 Tutti Frutti

by Mike Faricy

“Maybe for you, I’m never too excited to be called down here.”

  “I think we got a pretty air-tight defense, Dev. Just answer truthfully and we should be out of here in short order. Let’s get in there; the sooner we get started the sooner…”

  “Just watch my back, Manning isn’t the biggest fan.”

  We were ushered up to the fourth floor and left to sit in one of the interrogation rooms for close to an hour. I could feel Manning’s hand in all this, figured he was probably watching us through the mirror hoping to see me break down in some tearful confession to Louie. Even though I had nothing to hide I was still worried. I think one of Manning’s unfulfilled goals in life was to see me resting comfortably behind bars for a very long time.

  At about the one hour mark the door burst open and Manning bubbled in followed by a uniform and a plain clothes woman. The uniform remained against the door, the plain clothes took the seat next to Manning then sat there looking like a pissed off grade school principal.

  “Gentlemen, sorry to keep you waiting. Busy, busy, busy,” Manning chirped. He attacked the ever-present wad of gum viciously biting the thing like some sort of red faced mad dog. The top of his bald head glistened pink. His blue eyes shone like lasers that seemed directed at me.

  “How are we doing?” he smiled and looked from me to Louie then back at me for a long stare.

  I was determined not to say anything if I could help it. His cheery attitude did not bode well for my options. I gave him a polite nod then held his stare.

  He set his Maalox bottle on the corner of the table then opened a file and said, “Let the record show that...” and read off a series of form lines listing himself, Detective Clara Gutnacht, the uniformed officer, Louie, and me as present. Then he stated that we were there of our own free will, etc., etc. Of course, if I’d protested in any way it would have been a strike against me, so I sat there quietly and waited for the other shoe to drop.

  I didn’t have to wait long.

  “Mister Haskell, at this time you are not being charged and let the record state again that you and council are here of your own free will. There are a couple of items we think you might be able to help us clear up.”

  I was focused on the previous day, reviewing in my mind everything from when I arrived at the courthouse with Louie until this afternoon when I left Swindle drinking behind the bar at the Tutti Frutti Club. At no time was I ever out of sight of someone who could vouch for me. There wasn’t a five minute block of time when I could have made it to my car, let alone drive somewhere to harass Dudley Rockett then somehow drive back and not be missed. I was just thinking of how I could come up with the guest list from Gino’s disastrous victory party when Manning got my attention.

  “Do you know a gentleman named Gary Ruggles?” Manning asked.

  I was so focused on Dudley Rockett I had to have the question repeated.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Gary Ruggles, do you know him?”

  It was ringing a distant bell but my mind was still in the Dudley Rockett universe.

  “No, I don’t think I do, at least I don’t recall anyone by that name at this time.” I added that last bit just as a safety net. Who said you couldn’t learn something from watching sleazy congressmen on TV?

  “Have you ever known or had dealings with a woman named Melissa Marie Ruggles?”

  “No, not that I’m aware of, to the best of my knowledge at this time.”

  Manning’s eyes seemed to sparkle. Clara what’s-her-name blinked.

  I was wondering what the hell? Then all of a sudden things started to sink in.

  Manning grinned at me like he was reading my thoughts, which wasn’t very hard to do just now.

  “Wait a minute, Detective. I know, or rather sort of knew a Bunny Ruggles. We had a brief acquaintance. If it’s the same person, I didn’t recognize her name when you said Melissa Marie. Not to get too far ahead of things here, but you were at my office a few days ago and wanted to examine my vehicle. I believe this was in relation to a hit and run accident I stated I knew nothing about. I believe you said Gary Ruggles was the victim.”

  “And you still stand by your earlier statement that you have no firsthand knowledge of the accident involving Mister Ruggles?”

  “I do stand by my earlier statement. The only knowledge I have is a news report I heard on the radio and a brief newspaper article I read online just after you left my office the other day.”

  Manning made a note in the open file in front of him. Clara sat next to him and didn’t blink.

  “How brief was your acquaintance with Mrs. Ruggles?”

  “Very brief.”

  “Define very brief. Does that mean a year, a month, or did you just meet at a church function?” he asked then smiled.

  A principle tenet of law; Never ask a question you don’t already know the answer to. I thought I had better be truthful.

  “We met for an evening.”

  “An evening. Where?”

  “A concert, actually, then an establishment over in the Como area.”

  “An establishment, do you mean a bar?”

  “Yes.”

  “And the name of this establishment?”

  Here we go I thought. “The establishment is a bar called Charlie’s.”

  “Hmm-mmm, interesting.”

  “If you’re suggesting it’s interesting because that‘s the same place her husband was drinking the night he was killed in a hit and run, you’re correct. But the coincidence stops there. You examined my car, there was not then, nor is there now, any damage relating to a hit and run accident on my vehicle. And, as a matter of fact, if you’re interested I was with another individual on the night in question, a Miss Candi Slaughter. We were at my home until the following…”

  “Have you driven any other vehicle in the past ten days, Mister Haskell?”

  “No, no, I have not.”

  Suddenly there it was looming up on the distant horizon; Swindle’s purple convertible. The Miata with the smashed front end and the scrapes along the passenger side. I wondered how much Manning knew.

  “Mister Haskell, are you acquainted with a woman by the name of Swindle Lawless?”

  He knew more than me.

  “Yes, I am, she is a nominal client of mine. Now that you mention it, I did drive her car yesterday. If you’ll recall, I was in the courthouse hall when you and a number of officers arrested Mister Gino D’Angelo. Miss Lawless left with me. We took her car and I drove. I parked her car in the parking lot of The Spot Bar. I took her to dinner and then to the Tutti Frutti Club.”

  “And her vehicle is still at The Spot Bar?”

  “As far as I know. We couldn’t find her purse when it was time to go home last night. Miss Lawless didn’t seem to have a spare set of keys, and she appeared to possibly be a bit overserved.”

  I wasn’t sure but I thought I heard a door slam from behind the two way mirror. It really didn’t matter. I had more than enough on my plate just now.

  “You took her out to dinner, really? Where did the two of you dine?”

  “Dine?”

  “Yes where did you take her to dinner?”

  “McDonald’s, I guess.”

  “You guess?” Manning raised an eyebrow then shook his head. He seemed to be enjoying my discomfort.

  “McDonald’s,” I said.

  “Define nominal client,” Manning said.

  “Just that, a client of Mister Laufen’s here,” I nodded at Louie sitting next to me. “He asked me to look into a matter involving Miss Lawless and a former business agent.”

  “And that agent would be?”

  “A gentleman named Dudley Rockett.”

  “Hmm-mmm, that seems to ring a bell,” Manning said then slowly, deliberately pawed through a series of forms in the file. I think he was softly humming to himself.

  “Ah yes, here it is, Dudley Rockett. Is that the same Dudley Rockett that filed this restraining order against you?” he asked and held up a cop
y of the restraining order against me and pointed to a signature that read Dudley Rockett.

  “Possibly, I mean it’s sort of a common name.”

  “And most likely not the only restraining order filed against you. If I recall, weren’t you incarcerated for an evening recently? Was it something to do with your harassment of Mister Rockett? Do I recall a resisting-arrest charge somewhere in there, too?”

  “Come on, Manning, cut the bullshit. You jacked up the paperwork so I had to spend the night here under your loving care. We discussed it in this very room the next day. I should have filed charges against you guys and the city. I pay taxes just like…”

  “May I speak with my client privately for a moment,” Louie interrupted then stepped on my foot under the table.

  “Yeah, sure. I’m going to get a cup of coffee, either of you care for one?” Manning asked.

  “No thanks,” I said. Louie just shook his head and waited until the door closed behind them so we were alone in the room.

  Then he looked at me and asked, “What the fuck are you doing, Dev?”

  “I’m doing what you told me, I’m telling him the truth.”

  “No you’re not, you’re giving him a lecture, you idiot. You were screwing that Ruggles guy’s wife? Shit. And I gotta tell you, that line about driving Swindle’s car just yesterday sounds pretty damn bogus. If you want me to help you, Dev, you have got to work with me, not against me.”

  “Louie, I never even met Swindle until yesterday. As for that guy’s wife, it was a one nighter. I didn’t know she was married. There I am, sound asleep in her bed, minding my own business, and she kicks me out just before he walks into the bedroom. I had to hide under the damn bed for about a week. Then sneak out of the place once he fell asleep. Hell, she picked me up, not the other way around. I haven’t seen her since that night.”

  “Oh God, you complete and absolute idiot. Look, whatever you do don’t bring the D’Angelos or Joey Cazzo into this, it won’t help your cause one damn bit and it’s bound to screw things up for me.”

  “What, now I’m supposed to lie to Manning to cover those creeps?”

  “No, now you’re supposed to use that thick skull of yours.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “Hope I’m not interrupting,” Manning called when he stuck his gleaming pink head back into the room. “All right to come in and pick up where we left off?”

  Louie nodded.

  Manning seemed barely able to contain himself and began rifling questions before he’d even sat down.

  “I believe we were discussing Mister Rockett. How well do you know him?”

  “I think I saw him once or twice from a distance, but I have never actually spoken to him, at least that I know of.”

  “Ever been in his home?”

  “No.”

  “What about his office?”

  “I didn’t even know he had one. To the best of my knowledge I’ve never been there,” I said.

  Manning nodded then seemed to switch gears.

  “So Swindle Lawless, your client. I thought she was an item with your friend Joey Cazzo?”

  “If you say so, he’s not really my friend. I was just sort of doing him a little favor,” I said and shrugged.

  “Oh I see a little favor for someone you really don’t know? How very nice,” Manning said then nodded like it all made perfect sense.

  I could hear Louie give an exasperated exhale.

  “Miss Lawless mentioned to us that you owe her a five hundred dollar debt, is that correct?” Manning asked.

  Louie turned to look at me as his mouth dropped open.

  I looked stunned and couldn’t think of anything to say.

  “Mister Haskell? The matter of five hundred dollars owed to Miss Lawless? Was she correct about that amount?”

  “I think she’s mistaken, I’ll have to check with her.”

  “Not a problem on this end, Mister Haskell. I’m sure it was a simple good faith arrangement on your part and she just probably misunderstood,” Manning said. “Of course I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But I believe she suggested she was planning to file rape charges against you.”

  “I don’t know anything about that.”

  “Probably just another misunderstanding then. I’m sure once she completes the rape examination any questions will be cleared up. They’re very efficient and through,” Manning flashed a predatory grin.

  Louie shook his head and let loose a frustrating exhale. From underneath the table he gave me the finger.

  “Now, Mister Haskell, can you account for your whereabouts between the hours of nine o’clock last night and ten o’clock this morning?”

  “Yes, I was at the Tutti Frutti Club until maybe midnight. I drove a friend home, Heidi Bauer. At approximately ten the following morning, I drove Miss Lawless to the Tutti Frutti Club to look for her purse. She decided to remain there, and I returned to my home until my attorney, Mister Laufen, phoned and told me that I should come down here for this interview.”

  “I see,” Manning nodded and flipped a page in the open file in front of him. “You drove Miss Bauer home. Had she been drinking?”

  “Yes.”

  “Were you drinking?”

  “I may have had a beer, possibly two, over the course of five hours.”

  “Two beers! Commendable. So you acted as the sober cabdriver for Miss Bauer. That pretty much it?”

  “Yes.”

  “You would state you weren’t under the influence at any time during the evening?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And Miss Bauer, she was perhaps not in the best of shape to drive. Would that be a fair statement?”

  “Yes, it would. In fact she slept on the way home.”

  Louie stepped on my foot under the table.

  “Passed out?”

  “I don’t know, it may have been a long day and she was just tired.”

  “I see. And Miss Lawless?”

  “Miss Lawless?”

  “She seemed to think she may have been hired by the two of you for the purpose of a bit of late night sexual entertainment.”

  “Yes, I mean no. She wasn’t hired, but come to think of it, she was in the car.”

  “I see. Did she end up in bed with you and Miss Bauer?”

  “I believe she may have slept there, yes.”

  “In the same bed?”

  “Well yes, but nothing happened.”

  “Was she clothed?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Would you care to elaborate on ‘not exactly’?”

  “She may have removed some of her clothing.”

  “Care to define some?”

  “Maybe all.”

  “I see, so she was naked?”

  “Yes, pretty much.”

  “Were either you or Miss Bauer wearing clothes?”

  “I, I don’t think so.”

  Manning flipped a couple more pages and pulled out a pink sheet from the file. “Based on our toxicology report, the levels of alcohol and cocaine still in Miss Lawless’ blood workup approached the lethal level. Interesting. It sounds like she was severely drugged, forced to consume a large quantity of alcohol, and then raped, repeatedly. What do you think?”

  “I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

  “And yet you admit to being naked in the same bed with both Miss Lawless and Miss Bauer, is that correct?”

  “Yes, but…”

  Louie placed a hand on my wrist to quiet me.

  “Never realized you could muster up so much restraint, Mister Haskell. One for the books.” Manning smiled, but his eyes betrayed his mood.

  “Is Mister Haskell being charged with rape? You know as well as I do there may be some questions regarding the character of Miss Lawless. The fact that she remained in a drinking establishment after Mister Haskell last saw her certainly suggests she may have consumed more alcohol and possibly other substances after his departure. It would seem your toxicology report
is therefore null and void, at least in relation to my client.”

  “Perhaps,” Manning said.

  “You know it is, Detective. Unless you have something more besides a blood sample with levels of alcohol and cocaine from an individual you picked up in a bar, I think you’re grasping at straws. Thus far the only crime my client would appear to be guilty of is providing an impaired individual a safe place to spend the night.”

  “In the same bed with another individual and your client, who proceeded to rape her.” Manning shot back.

  “Let’s see what the evidence says.”

  “We intend to do just that,” Manning said and closed the file.

  “Are we free to go?” Louie asked.

  “Maybe just a couple more questions,” Manning said then held his hand out as crabby Clara Gutnacht seemed to pull another file out of nowhere.

  Chapter Thirty

  We were out in the parking lot talking. It was dark by now. Louie was seated in his car with the door open while I was standing in a pot hole. We’d been in the interrogation room for four or five hours. My head was pounding, and Louie was pissed off, really pissed off.

  “I don’t know, you tell me. I finally get a dream client, the D’Angelos. So many legal problems they’ll never find their way out of the court system. I got Joey Cazzo, a creep I admit, but the bastard tells me everything I have to do and pays for the privilege. I can work part time and make full time money and you, in just twenty four hours have managed to fuck everything up.”

  “Louie, I’m telling you I didn’t do anything.”

  “I don’t know, maybe you’ve heard this before, but you never do anything. It’s never your fault, it’s always someone else. Guess what? I’m the poor bastard up to his neck in shit. Your shit! You better get this mess cleaned up and fast, Dev.”

  “Louie, I…”

  “No. The first thing you are going to do is pay Swindle the five hundred for the three-way.”

  “I never touched her. There wasn’t any three-way, we all just went to sleep.”

  “I don’t care. Look, Dev, make it go away. Figure it out, douche nozzle. If this charge remains, me or someone else unfortunate enough to represent you is gonna ream your ass for a good fifteen hundred to deal with this, and that’s just for starters. So your best option is to pay her five hundred bucks, make the charge go away, and consider yourself a thousand bucks ahead of the game.”