“What in the world would he do all of that for?” Mathews asked, wrinkling his brow and looking at Rick. “Who is this guy Marcell y’all are talking about? What did he have to do with this?”
“I honestly don’t know, Your Honor. I can only tell you that Young tried to prosecute him for a murder last year and the guy proved his innocence. That pissed Young off enough that he killed all of these people to pin it on him and get himself a promotion. This entire crime was committed to frame this guy Marcell.”
Mathews took the photos out again and looked at them. “Well, Rick, I have to tell you that it would be a shame to let this guy get away with a crime such as this. Hell, it would almost be a crime on my part, if I didn’t break the law and do something about it,” Mathews said, looking over the pictures of the dismembered baby.
“Yes, sir, I understand how ya feel. That’s exactly why I want to make sure that Young doesn’t ever get out.”
“Well, I need just a couple more things and then I’ll type up the warrant and you’ll be able to use this cold-blooded, remorseless, and heart-stopping confession in court,” Mathews said, and took out a writing tablet from his desk.
“I can’t express to you enough how wrong it is for me to do this, Rick. If I am caught, it will mean prison time and disbarment from the judicial system,” Mathews said.
“Yes, sir, I understand completely and I will keep it quiet.”
Rick gave Mathews all the information and then waited for the warrant. Mathews typed the warrant and signed it. He reached across his desk and handed it to Rick. He shook the judge’s hand and expressed his thanks again and again. He then made his way back to his precinct.
As Rick exited the elevator, he had a slight skip in his step. He made his way to his desk and then sat in his chair for a moment. Looking as if he had a huge secret, he scanned the room for T-Bone. As he continued to search, he noticed that his captain was looking at him through the glass windows of his office. Rick made eye contact with Captain Dickie. The captain shrugged and tilted his head at Rick. Rick followed suit and tilted his head as if he were trying to figure out what Dickie was trying to say. Dickie leaned his head back and looked disgustedly at Rick. It was then clear to Rick that he had misunderstood his captain, so he stood up and walked over to Dickie’s office.
“Close the door, Rick.”
Wise closed the door and then took his seat. Dickie looked at Rick and said, “Well?”
“I got it. The judge was more than happy to help us, sir.”
“That’s awesome. Now that son of a bitch won’t be able to walk after all.”
“No sir, and the best part is … the FBI still thinks they won’t be able to submit the tapes for prosecution. That is what I think is the best part,” Rick said as he leaned back in his chair.
“Yeah, but we need to let them know as soon as we can that the tapes that we have will be admissible because we had a warrant. Let me look at the warrant, Wise.”
“Captain … there is something that you need to know. Agent Woburn called me again and told me that something just isn’t right.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, she told me that Archer must have known more than he let on that he knew. That he was involved in more of it than he let on and that she didn’t know why he didn’t stop it before it went too far.”
“What does she think he did the day we had the sting?”
Rick pulled the warrant from its envelope and handed it to Dickie for inspection. “She thinks that Archer allowed Young to get caught to get him out of the way.”
“So why didn’t Young scream that to the FBI when they arrested him?”
“That’s where my confusion comes in, Captain. If Young knows that Archer framed him, why hasn’t he talked to anyone about it?”
“Hmm … Maybe he hasn’t said anything about it because Archer really didn’t know any more than he has admitted to.”
“Or … maybe Young is waiting for Archer to get him out! Or maybe Archer wanted Young to kill me that day at the Bennigan house so he could kill Young and never answer for anything.”
“Whoa … You’ve already prosecuted Archer and you don’t even know what the hell is going on. I told you when you first came to work for me that I believe in honest and actual police work, Rick. Don’t go throwing around a lot of accusations. It will all come to light soon and if Archer is dirty. Do what you do best… some real police work and catch him,” Dickie said. He looked at the warrant and began to smile.
“This is a great day, Rick; we have stopped a murdering madman from any chance of parole. This means that when we go to court, Young will face his destiny, the destiny he brought upon himself, as so many people do when they break the law. And … my father-in-law couldn’t come, so it’s a really great day.”
“Well … I was actually worried about your well-being during his stay. I’m glad that you get your Happy Burger. But the best part is, Captain, Young will be in that damn courtroom watching this all unfold. He will be dragged through all these emotions again and again as he watches the jury’s response. The prosecutor will go through each step as she shows those horrible pictures to the judge and the jury.”
“Yeah, I want this fucking animal brought to justice just as bad as anyone, but I don’t want to have to look at those photos again. I’m still trying to get away from the nightmares after seeing them for the first time. I still have a couple of things bothering me about the crime scene, though.”
“What’s that, Captain?”
“The footprints. Why were they all so different from one another? You may actually have something here about Archer after all.”
“Young said he wore a Tyvek suit. Captain, remember, they are loose, and they could make different patterns with every step. He admitted to wearing the suit in his recording at the Bennigan home. But he was explaining how HE did this and HE did that. He never mentioned that Archer had done anything.”
“I pray to God that we’re not prosecuting only part of the guilty here. If there is another person that is responsible as well, we need to know. We need to make sure we have those answers before we go to court.”
“Yes, sir, I’ll make sure we look at all the evidence again before the hearing,” Rick said as he turned to see who had knocked on the captain’s door.
The two men could see T-Bone waiting outside. Rick stood up and walked over to the door and opened it. “What’s up, Bubba?” Rick asked.
“Nuttin’ much, just got back from brunch with the wife. What are y’all doing? T-Bone asked as he entered the room.
“We were just talking about the Bennigan murders. Dickie wants to make sure that Young was the only killer.”
“Yeah, ’cause if there are two out there like that freak, God please be with us,” T-Bone agreed.
“Well, Cap … I guess we’ll go and check out the house again and cover all of the evidence. Do we know when the hearing is yet?” Rick asked as he turned to face his captain.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I find something out.”
“Okay, Cap, we’re gonna head out. I’ll let ya know if we find out anything else,” Rick said as he and T-Bone exited the room.
After only a brief moment Rick walked back into the room and said, “Captain, what would make Archer frame Young in the first place?”
Dickie turned sharply as Rick and T-Bone walked back into the room. “I guess I don’t know. What’s your point, Rick?”
“The day at the Bennigan house … Archer unplugged my wire and told Young it wasn’t a transmitting wire, when he must have known that it was.”
“Again, Rick … I don’t follow ya.”
“I’m just saying … If Young was under the assumption that Archer was shooting straight with him about everything, then why would Archer set him up, organize a sting against him, and
then bust him?”
“Please … I am getting a migraine just trying to keep up with you.”
“My point is, Captain, if Archer was planning on busting Young, then why wait until we were in the house? Why not just record him telling him the entire story?”
“Umm … I guess because he couldn’t organize the sting quickly enough before?” Captain Dickie struggled, and then he stared at Rick as if asking for agreement.
“Look, Captain, Young and Archer were always together. They went everywhere together, worked cases together. And when Young watched Archer enter the room, he wasn’t surprised. He was relieved that Archer was there … to help, I’m assuming. Then I remembered that Archer kept looking at Young funny in that bloody room, but he didn’t say anything to him.”
“What kind of look are you talking about, Rick?”
“I don’t really know … Maybe he wanted Young to kill me there so he could shoot him and be free from any witnesses. Then again, maybe he wanted Young to shut up and not say anything on tape. I am so confused about this now, Captain.”
“Look, Rick, you’re a good cop and an even better friend. Don’t let this eat at you too much. We’ll figure it all out, and when we do, that will give you some satisfaction,” Dickie said with a sad look on his brow.
“Okay, I’ll go and do some real police work now. Thanks for the talk.”
“You’re always welcome, Rick. Try to stay out of trouble.”
“Yes, sir, I will,” Rick said as they walked back out the doorway. Rick and T-Bone made their way to their car and started it up. Rick reached for his seat belt and placed it over his shoulder. He paused for a second and slowly looked from the floor up to T-Bone. Looking as if he had just had an epiphany, he asked, “What if Archer really was the other murderer, T?”
“Oh shit, Bubba! If he is, we have another problem besides just making sure Young stays in prison.”
“What’s that?”
“If we don’t find out if Archer is guilty, we could have another situation just like the Bennigans.”
“I’m certain that Archer wouldn’t do anything else to make it look like he was guilty. Archer will say that Young is the only one—you heard the tape yourself. He confessed to the murders; he even described in detail everything he had done. He is a heartless fucking monster, T, and we’re gonna make sure he doesn’t ever have the chance to do it again. I just hope I am wrong about Archer.”
“I hope you’re wrong too Bubba,” T-Bone answered as Rick placed the Crown Victoria in drive and they left the parking garage.
Chapter 15
As Colt arrived at 123rd and the Gene Autry Freeway, he began to scan the shops for the garage he was supposed to go to. There were several old gas stations there, abandoned and looking poor. He searched up one side of the street and then down the other side. Finally, he saw Tony’s Lincoln parked on the side of one of the old buildings. He pulled up and the door opened to allow him access. As he drove through the garage door, he noticed Tony standing over to the side. Tony was holding his finger up to his lips to tell Colt to be quiet.
“Hello, sir. What can we do for you?” Tony asked.
“I think I have an exhaust problem. Can you check it out for me?”
“Yes sir, we’ll have it looked at right away,” Tony answered as he silently motioned for Colt to follow him. Colt opened the door on the BMW and stepped out. He then followed Tony through a door in the garage.
“Hey, Colt … where’d you catch the bug?”
“I don’t really know that I have one yet, but I was being tailed and pulled into the diner, and I’m pretty sure if I have one, I caught it before then.”
“Who’s passing this cold around?”
“Pretty sure it’s the FBI; they can’t tail worth a shit. I went inside the restaurant and sat down. They actually followed me in. What they wanted with me, I’ll never know,” Colt said. He looked through the glass window that they were both standing behind as they watched his car being parked in the mechanic’s bay.
The men working on Colt’s car were not mechanics. They wore suits and carried guns. They were Tony’s hired muscle, and a few of them were very large.
“This guy’s yours, Tony, or did you borrow him?” Colt asked as he noticed that one of the men was walking around with an electronic tester of some sort.
“Yeah, he is my guy. He’s an expert on tracking devices and other electronic equipment. He used to work for the CIA in Dallas’s Federal Crime Lab. He’s the best of the best. If you’ve got a cold, he’ll diagnose it. We appropriately call him The Doctor, and he’s a pretty mean cook too.”
The two of them watched as several men surrounded the car and made their way across every inch of it. They didn’t make a sound as they worked. Any communication was initiated with hand signals and eye contact. This way they would not be heard if there was a listening device on the car.
Tony moved from the glass pane looking into the garage to a paper-covered window facing the street in front of the garage. He peeled back just enough paper to look out. He noticed an older-model white van parked on the other side of the street. “Hey, Colt, you should take a look across the street at this van.”
Colt made his way over to the window and peered out at the van. “Fuck … They followed me here and now they are trying to listen to us. What do you want me to do, Tony?”
“Well, if you do have a bug, you have only two choices: one, you can take it off and they’ll figure something else out. Or two, you can leave it on there and put on a show for them.”
“How long do you think they’ll watch me if I leave it on?” Colt asked.
“That all depends on what they’re watching you for in the first place, Colt. It could stop after only a couple of weeks, or it could go on for years.”
“Shit, I don’t think I’m ready for another game with the FBI. The last one almost ended with me in the slammer. But hell, I thought all that bullshit was over. I’ll be a son of a bitch!”
“I heard about how all that turned out for ya, Colt,” Tony said. “You gotta give it to that guy; he’s a twisted little fucker, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, I knew if he wasn’t taken care of soon, I would have been thrown underneath that prison for the shit he was pinning on me.”
“What the hell did this guy have such a hard-on over you for?”
“I don’t really know … Mr. G said he was framing me because I beat the charge for that fed case about a year ago. I wasn’t guilty, though—I didn’t kill the guy. Agent Young was pissed about me beating the charges. I guess he still thinks I did it.”
“So who the hell was it that got killed?” Tony asked. “Why was he so important anyway?”
“It was a guy who had a gambling problem; he owed Mr. G money—a lot of money. But he owed a lot of other people money too, more money than you and I will ever know anything about.”
“So he was whacked and they pinned it on you?”
“Yeah, the court proceedings were all of five months; I couldn’t stand being away from my family for that long again,” Colt said. “Hell, they’ve only been gone for a few days and I’m going crazy at home alone.”
“Why would the FBI know anything about you anyways? If you weren’t around the guy and didn’t kill him, then why did they go after you?”
“Same thing I wondered about: how the hell did they know I was a potential hit? I never have figured that one out, Tony. I was just glad to be done with it all afterward.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you were. Makes ya wonder, though.”
“Yeah … and nervous too.” Colt knew he couldn’t tell Tony where the FBI had caught wind of him this time. Tony had other partners in the dry dock as well. If he told Tony that Gamboni had sent him to check on things, it would show Tony that Don Gamboni didn’t trust him totally. Colt was in a pre
dicament, though. If they did find a bug, he had two choices. If he took it off, the feds would know he had looked for it, and that would make him look like an experienced mobster. The only other choice was to leave it there and play a game with them: never going anywhere that would incriminate him and that would make it very difficult to perform his job as a hit man.
The door opened into the room from the garage, and a smaller man they called The Doctor walked into the room and closed the door. “You do have a cold.”
“Shit! I figured that those assholes planted a bug.” Colt said as he tightened his fist in frustration.
“Who are they, and why would they want to track you?”
“What do you mean? They’re feds, of course. Who else plants bugs?”
“This is someone besides the feds, sir. That is a homemade tracking device. High frequency, but it’s a low-range transmitter nevertheless.”
“What? Why would they use a homemade listening device?”
“The feds wouldn’t. They are required to use a specific type of tracking device—model LTR-1102 to be exact. If they modify it in any way, it is inadmissible in court. The LTR-1102 is very dependable. No … this is not even a listening device; it is used for tracking only. Seems that they just want to know where you are, not what you are saying.”
“So what are you telling me here? That someone else is tracking me?”
“Yes, I’ve seen transmitters like this before, but never this crude.”
“You have?”
“Yup. They teach you how to make this stuff on the Internet. It doesn’t cost much, and you can get everything you need from a well-stocked electronics store.”
“So you’re telling me that an amateur is tracking me?”
“Yes and no,” The Doctor said. “I’m telling you that this is certainly not the government’s piece of hardware. The government agents use a high-frequency, high-range transmitter for tailing someone and also listening in on them, when it’s placed in the proper location. This is your standard homing device that an eighth grader can make in his bedroom.” The Doctor pointed through the window and at Colt’s car.
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