by Judy Candis
Then finally the last frame. The sound this time is that of the preacher’s voice, talking about how Eddie was supposed to leave in two weeks for the police academy, to fulfill his single ambition in life. To be an officer of the law. To protect and serve.
It was then that it became her ambition also. Through the rivers of tears that fell from her eyes, she made an oath to her brother and herself. She solemnly promised to learn all she could, to follow in Eddie’s footsteps and bring his murderer to justice. She wanted to stop this madness from ever happening to another family again.
Even today, only her mother knew that with every criminal she captured, with every face she looked into on the streets, was carried the hope of finding Eddie’s killer. It was like an indirect satisfaction of justice for Eddie whenever she brought in a criminal, taking her one step closer to her ultimate goal. It had driven her for most of the years on the force. While others saw her choice of career as a way to honor her beloved older brother and carry on his legacy, for her it was a personal vendetta.
Jael shook the painful thought from her mind, unconsciously rubbing the scar in the palm of her right hand. A reminder of many things, including the fact that Eddie would want her to stay focused.
BeBe Winans’s rich, rhinal alto spilled from the radio with his message of how God “Lifted Up,” but right now Jael wasn’t hearing a word of her favorite song as she steered the Bronco down Howard Avenue, heading home.
A tangle of conflicting thoughts ravaged her mind, especially about the note. She hadn’t mentioned it to Sills at the crime scene—too many people around, too many ears that could leak info to the press. What was the note about? What exactly had she been given? Who knew that more deaths would occur? The person who’d passed the note to her didn’t want anyone to know who he or she was.
Deeply buried in her thoughts, Jael didn’t notice the silver Maxima passing swiftly alongside her until it swerved to the right within inches of her front bumper. Instinctively, she slammed on her brakes, barely avoiding the other vehicle or hitting her head on the steering wheel.
“What the . . .” she hissed as her heart hammered inside her chest and the adrenaline of surprise raced through her body.
Jael had no time to react further. The passenger door of the other car burst open and a huge, burly man dressed in loose-fitting jeans and a large pullover shirt advanced to her side of the car.
How dare he act as if she were at fault, she thought. Well, she was ready for him. He was in the wrong, and didn’t have any idea who she was.
His next words confirmed he knew exactly who she was.
“If you want to talk to Big Jake, pull your Bronco over and get out,” he said so close to her passenger window that she could see his chipped front tooth and a mass of acne scars.
Jael had never seen the man before, but he was big and obviously expected to be obeyed. “Who are you?” she demanded.
“Don’t ask any questions, Detective Reynolds—Big Jake will be the one asking the questions. Now, if you want to talk with him, you’ll do as I say. Leave any weapons behind.”
Though it was certainly not one of the smartest things she’d ever done, she followed the stranger’s orders. She knew Big Jake, and if this guy called her by name, Booley had reached Big Jake in record time and he was now turning the tables in pursuit of her. Jael prayed that the Lord had finally put “the fear of God” in the dealer and that Big Jake merely wanted to know what was going on in Dadesville as much as she did.
Jael gave the guy a slight nod, backed her Bronco up and pulled to the side of the curb. She removed her shoulder holster from beneath her suit jacket, not wanting the men to have reason to frisk her and maybe keep her weapon. She placed it in the glove compartment, climbed out and locked the car. She’d trust the Lord to get her out of this one. Besides, she still had her trusty forefinger, she mused.
Though the big guy never displayed his weapon, the way he waved her along with one hand in his pocket indicated he was packing something more deadly than a finger.
The rear left door of the Maxima suddenly swung open before her. Jael hesitated just a beat, then stepped inside and looked straight into the glaring, malicious eyes of Big Jake. The burly fellow with the chipped tooth climbed in the front with another buddy and raced the engine, but didn’t drive off.
Big Jake was more menacing and dangerous-looking in appearance than anyone Jael had ever laid eyes on, and wore his name rightly. At six and a half feet tall, he exuded a danger not defined by gangland scars or the ugly remnants of acne, but a deeper, sinister evil—rooted to the bone.
The last time Jael had spoken to Big Jake, he had worn his usual self-assured, snide grin. Today the grin was missing, replaced by a hateful scowl. He still wore the lavish attire of an open silk shirt over a white T-shirt and a huge J held by a platinum chain around his ornery neck. A diamond- studded ring in each ear of his shaved head seemed to make his appearance even more intimidating.
“I just love your method for meeting women,” Jael said as she settled back against the rich leather seat before turning to face Big Jake.
“Why you looking for me, and what the hell is going on?” he barked without preamble.
“If you’re going to curse, this conversation is over before it starts.” The smell of marijuana saturated the car’s interior, but it was something she’d have to overlook for the moment. She had more urgent matters to deal with than a drug bust.
The car suddenly pulled off, and Jael glanced at the back of the heads of the two men in the front seat. They sat like twin stone pillars, staring straight ahead.
Jael’s attention was drawn back to Big Jake as he sputtered his indignation.
“Are you . . . do you . . . have you really lost your last mind?”
“We go way back, Jake. This is important to both of us, so let’s get the ground rules straight. Someone’s offing your boys, and you need me like I need you or you wouldn’t volunteer to make my search for you easier. Now, let’s lay everything out on the table so I can do my job and get out there and find out who’s behind it.”
Big Jake stared silently at her for an interminable length of time, as if he were trying to make up his mind. Jael waited, never letting her gaze waver; two could play the intimidation game. When next he spoke, it was to say the last thing she’d have expected.
“I think I might know where you should start. You’ve got one chance to do your cop stuff and only twenty-four hours to do it in. If you can’t handle it, my boys will take care of this situation for you. Unofficial deputies, you might say.”
The ugly grin was back.
Chapter
12
Jael pulled into her driveway just as Virgil drove his Mercedes to a screeching halt in front of her house. Always appreciative of small favors, she sent a grateful “Thank you” heavenward, that she had beat him to the house this time.
Before Virgil could shut off the engine, Ramon jumped from the passenger seat and ran to meet her as she stepped from the Bronco.
“Momma, you’ll never guess what we did this weekend. We spent all day Saturday at Islands of Adventure. Can you believe it? Dad gave in and let me eat as much as I could hold and even rode with me on the Space Blaster. It was the bomb!”
“That’s great, honey.” Jael wrapped her arms around her son in a welcoming hug as she looked over his head at his father. If Virgil had let his hair down over the weekend, there was no sign of it now. He was dressed, as always, to the nines. And, as always, the first thing to come out of his mouth when he saw her was criticism.
“Do you realize that Ramon needs to see a dentist? Don’t you ever bother to look closely at your son?”
Since she hadn’t fallen smack on her face after their divorce as he’d expected and had even gone so far as to be considered by many as somewhat of a local hero, Virgil could eat bricks. He resented her success without him. It wasn’t supposed to go that way, especially since he felt trapped in a job that kept overlooking him d
uring promotions. For her it only proved how God protected His own.
“What’s wrong with his teeth?” Jael asked as she pushed Ramon slightly back and gently spread his lips apart. “You weren’t having any problems, were you, honey?”
Ramon assisted her efforts with a wide grin while rolling his eyes, knowing his father, standing behind them, couldn’t see. The expression was so comical Jael had to press her lips together to keep from laughing out loud. With her knee, she nudged him to behave.
“Dad says I need braces,” he whined, ignoring the nudge. “Please, Momma, not braces.”
“The boy needs his teeth corrected,” Virgil said, moving toward them. “Do you still have dental coverage? Or should I apply through my plan?”
“I have coverage, but we’ll let the dentist decide what he needs.” With her arm still around Ramon, she turned and headed for the front porch. “Okay . . . Well, see you, Virgil.”
“Wait a minute, not so fast. The Omega’s Fathers and Sons Banquet is next Thursday, and I need to know if you can have Ramon ready . . . and on time.”
“You never told me about a father-and-son banquet,” she said over her shoulder.
“Let’s not even go there. I tell you these things all the time, but you always conveniently forget. Anyway, I’m telling you now, again, so I won’t have any problems with you later.”
Very slowly, Jael turned to face her ex. “Listen, Virgil, I resent the way you always insinuate that I’m attempting to keep Ramon from you or that I’m some kind of monster mother.”
“Oh, how soon we forget. But I don’t have time to give you a current list. Just remember to have him ready. It’s a suit-and-tie affair.” With that, her ex marched back to his car.
Ramon had taken off inside the house, leaving his overnight bag on the front steps. Jael picked it up as she passed, mumbling unintelligible words at the departing car, then added a final hiss.
Once inside, she again grabbed Ramon, who was dancing around in a circle, and gave him a big hug. “Boy, did I miss you!”
“Yeah, I bet. Did you have a great time in this house alone? Did you eat right?”
“Hey, without the boss around, I pigged out on so much fat my cholesterol count is probably off the chart.”
“Tsk, tsk, good thing I got back here in time. Can’t leave you alone for more than a day or two.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Jael pushed her son ahead of her toward the kitchen. “Had dinner?”
“We went to Red Lobster earlier with Dad’s . . . uh . . . I mean, yeah.”
Jael shoved him playfully. “You don’t have to be elusive about your dad’s new girlfriend. I’m sure she’s fat and ugly.”
Ramon laughed, then tilted his head as if seriously considering the matter. “Well, actually, she looks a lot like Halle Berry, if you go for that type.” Then he exploded with laughter at his mother’s astonished expression. “Just kidding, Momma. She can’t touch you by a mile. I can’t figure out what Dad sees in her; she looks worse than the woman he dated after you guys split.”
“Oh, sure, words of comfort out of the mouth of an adoring son.”
“Who says I’m adoring?”
“Why, you little turkey,” Jael teased, reaching her hands out in a death grip toward her only child. Ramon took off in a peal of laughter toward the den as she bolted behind him. While she was in heavy pursuit, her police cell phone rang. Giggling, Ramon dashed to his bedroom.
“Don’t think you’re saved by the bell!” Jael shouted after him. “You ‘done tried a colored girl’ and your little skinny behind is mine as soon as I finish this call.”
Jael could hear his chuckled reply, and grinned to herself. Lord, she really did miss that boy when he was away. She moved toward the couch and lifted the cell phone from where it lay beside her purse on the end table. With a note of merriment still in her voice, she said, “Hello.”
“Is this Detective Reynolds?”
Instantly, the gaiety in her voice disappeared. The person at the other end sounded as if he’d never laughed in his entire life. She answered in her most official tone, “Yes, this is her.”
“This is Harold Watson.”
“Well, isn’t this weird. I was going to call you.” After talking with Big Jake, and learning of his suspicions that MAD DADS, a grassroots antidrug group, was somehow involved in all this, she’d meant to contact Harold first thing Monday morning. At least this saved her some office time. It also proved Big Jake might have pointed her in a more likely direction.
“You mean you already know about the threat?”
Jael slowly sat on the couch. “Threat?”
“The threat to my life!”
“Wait a minute, Mr. Watson, let’s back up here. Someone threatened you?”
“Some fool thinks I know something about these recent murders and left a note at my house demanding I confess, or else.”
“Do you know anything about the murders?”
There was a solid moment of silence.
“Do I . . . ? Listen to me and listen good. I’m the founder and president of MAD DADS. We try to clean up drug-infested neighborhoods and rescue those who are addicted, not kill them!” he shouted in a self-assured, self-promoting manner.
“I know all about your organization, Mr. Watson, but you haven’t answered my question. Do you have any idea who might be behind all this?”
Again Jael picked up on the slight hesitation in his answer. “Why would anyone think I know anything? Yes, we walk the beats, try to keep our streets clean of the drug scum, but we never hurt anyone, never take advantage of our position in the community.”
“If I remember correctly, a young man was knocked around pretty good a year ago, and your organization was held responsible.”
“How can you even call that lowlife ‘a young man’? He was caught in the act of trying to sell drugs to one of our members’ own kids! If the father went off rather physically, who can blame him? At least it showed those dealers we meant business. We’ve kept our neighborhood clean because we don’t take no mess.”
“How far would members of your organization go to send out the message, ‘We don’t take no mess’?”
“Not enough to kill somebody! Look, Detective Reynolds, I called you to alert you to the fact someone’s trying to threaten me, and to warn you that I will take any precautions necessary to keep myself and my family safe. If the dealers want a war with us, then . . .”
“Hold on a minute, Mr. Watson. That’s not the case at all. It seems the dealers are scared to death someone’s targeting them. I was pointed in your direction because of your actions against them. So, forget retaliations. We all need to work together here.”
“I have no desire whatsoever to work with that scum to keep their butts safe. They’ve brought this on themselves and deserve any mishap that falls their way. I applaud whoever is behind this. Since the police don’t seem to be able to do anything, maybe someone figured out a way to eliminate the germs.”
“Mr. Watson, are you suggesting that you know who’s behind . . . ?”
“Take it however you want, Detective, but you’d better tell them to stay away from me. I have every legal right to defend myself. Threats don’t scare me! And I’m not afraid of any drive-by shootings, either, because I’ll be waiting for them!”
The line went dead before she could respond.
Chapter
13
A half hour later when she stepped out of the shower, Jael continued to play the phone call with Harold Watson around in her mind while she absently toweled off. She was not surprised by his “devil may care” attitude toward those who pushed illegal drugs on kids. Many in the community would have the same sentiments. No one was going to have any serious qualms that dealers were being offed.
But for her, life was precious, no matter whose it was. Murder was never to be considered a means to eradicate a problem. As a child of God on the police force, she came up against the criminal element on a continual basis. With m
any, there was simply no supreme power other than what they strived to achieve on their own. Still, every now and then, using the right words, and with just the right measure of kindness, she sensed the curiosity and wonder she left behind, and knew that another seed had been planted.
Moving into the adjoining bedroom, Jael donned a pair of comfortable cutoff jeans and her favorite Tampa Bay Buccaneers T-shirt. She was a do-or-die Bucs fan and reveled in the fact that Virgil detested the team.
A knowing smile passed her lips for a moment, as the thought flashed through her mind about what her reaction to this recent rash of murders would have been if she was still with her ex. Certainly not a pleasant one, that was for sure. But that was then. Now she was stronger. Now she had an inner force that fought her demons on a daily basis. She whispered a soft “Thank you, Jesus,” something she did a lot, but even more so these last couple of days. Had it been only two days ago that she’d discovered the first slain dealer in the crack house? So much had happened since then.
She didn’t believe Big Jake and his boys were behind this; they were too scared. And it was far-fetched to think Harold Watson and MAD DADS had gone to this extreme. The men were a great asset to the community, cleaning up drug-infested neighborhoods and then patrolling them to deter any future returns. They worked closely with the Dadesville Police Department, and had even received a recognition award from the department for their service. Yet there was something nagging her about her conversation with Watson. He knew something—she felt it.
With Ramon now snugly in bed, Jael decided to call Watson back. Reaching for her phone, sitting beside her bed in its charger, she pressed *69, but got his answering machine. She left a message for him to call her later or tomorrow at the office. Replacing the phone in its cradle, she jumped when it rang right away. Man, she thought, her nerves must be shot. She’d become a ball of jitters in just a few days.