Avi began in a louder voice, “If you’ll all step out to the porch area, we’ll have to keep Mr. Koehler here until—“
But Tim cut him off in his nasal voice, “Thank you, Officer Kee but I have completed my tests and there is no evidence of any airborne contagion.”
He strode through the crowd to quickly flash an ID card at the EMTs and the mayor. “Dan Donavan, DEA, Secondary Containment. We suspected this man of manufacturing Extabee in his school. Our investigation has cleared him of involvement in any biological terrorism. You may transport him off property.”
“He can. . . leave?” Kissy clarified.
Tim turned and smiled broadly at her. He nodded.
Jen broke the stunned silence that attended Tim’s entrance by yelling, “Charge! He’s going into defib.”
Twenty-six
Kissy, Tim, and Avi all turned to stare at the EMTs bustling over Koehler’s still body.
“Excuse me, sir.” Jen gently pulled the mayor from Koehler’s body and pushed him aside to rip open the teacher’s shirt.
Curt applied the portable defibrillator patches. The mayor stepped over to his security people to give the EMTs room to work. As Jen and Curt struggled to keep Koehler alive, their radio squawked. Police request medical assistance. We have a sedated minor recovered at the wharf. Nearest units respond to 723 Carp Way. Curt reached back and turned the volume down even as he continued squeezing the oxygen bag over Koehler’s blue lips.
The Killer with a Conscience turned and shared a brief triumphant smile with the bartender and the cop. Then he slipped through the crowd, spinning to give them one last surreptitious thumbs up before disappearing down the back hall.
In that moment Kissy realized they’d saved the girl and killed the molester all right in front of Mayor Sutton. Her knees buckled. Avi caught her and helped her over to the bar stool the mayor has so recently occupied. He kissed her.
“He’s not all bad.”
Kissy looked at him in shock. “Koehler?!”
“Tim.” Avi shook his head. “Can I borrow your phone?”
She pulled it from her apron pocket and handed it over. Avi kissed her again as he dialed. He looked around at the disturbingly happy young faces in the crowd and spoke into the phone as he stepped around them to the fresh air. “This is Officer Kee. Can I speak with Kimi Dannon please? She’s in interrogation room C.”
Kissy slipped off the stool and made her way around to the back of the bar where she ducked inside. She popped open another beer for Middle and noticed that the restaurant guests weren’t leaving. Most of them were returning to their seats. Waiters were clearing dusty meals and Dick was with the busboys racing around and wiping down everything. Some of the guests were gathering, joining their tables and ordering new drinks. Some relocated to the front patio. But not very many were leaving. The Freckled Dog had the atmosphere of a celebration despite the dying body in the front and the unexplained explosion in the back. Kissy was baffled as she fixed drinks for the waiters and the regulars who had all returned to their stools at the bar. Sad Sally had never left. But even she was affected. She lifted her glass in a silent toast as Kissy watched.
When she could, Kissy worked her way around to the printer beside the cash register. Jessica joined her with three black shot glasses and a pretty bottle of golden liquid.
“This is not our Patron,” Kissy observed as Jessica poured.
“Not every day,” she paused as if changing what she was about to say. “It’s not every day the Big Brother room blanks out.”
Kissy took the glass but tilted her head at the bartender.
“All the monitors are down. The recordings are wiped. Someone hit the kill switch.” Jessica took one of the shot glasses to the west bar and set in front of Tim.
Tim was no longer wearing the funky glasses or the chef’s smock. His hair was blond again, cleaned of all flour and somehow he managed to look nothing like Dan Donavan, DEA. He sat quietly at the bar with a book open in front of him as if he’d been there the whole night. His eyes sparkled though as he lifted the shot glass to the ladies and sipped.
Jessica came back to Kissy. “Dick’s gonna do a reset as soon as he’s got all the customers taken care of. We’ve got about twenty minutes, I’d say, to blame some lowered liquor levels on that dead guy over there.” Jessica threw back her shot and poured again.
“You,” Kissy observed, “are cold.”
“He,” she replied, “was a jackass.”
They toasted the dead cameras and drank. Then Kissy heard the conversation happening around the body that used to Kevin Koehler.
Jen was saying, “We’re going to have to recommend an autopsy.”
Kissy grabbed her printout and stepped to the edge of the bar closest to where the mayor was asking, “With that many self-administered drugs, wouldn’t you call it suicide?”
Avi’s deep voice cut straight through the hubbub. “He sure was drinking like he didn’t plan on a tomorrow.”
“It’s only hearsay that he self-administered the drugs, other than the gin.” The EMT sighed as she closed Koehler’s empty eyes. “It actually helps when they write a note first.”
“How about if they give away all of their worldly possessions?” Kissy asked.
Avi, Tim, both EMTs, all three security, and the mayor looked over at her.
“Excuse me?” The mayor politely inquired.
She held up the receipt. “Here. This seems like a suicide note to me.”
The mayor took the receipt, read it, and chuckled. “That certainly does seem conclusive.”
“He wrote a note on his drinks bill?” Jen asked.
Mayor Sutton handed the receipt over. “No. But he left the ladies here a twenty-one thousand dollar tip.”
Jessica whooped and pumped a fist in the air. “Holy crap!”
And she tossed back another shot.
Twenty-seven
Kissy mixed a fresh batch of Amaretto sours. She poured two for the couple at the east bar who had finally set down their smart phones and were holding hands.
“I know it’s been a disturbing night,” she said. “These are on the house.”
“Thank you,” the husband said.
“Life is so short,” the tearful wife added.
He put a hand up to wipe off her cheek and then he kissed her. She picked up her glass and handed it to him.
Kissy circled south and served up a sour to each of the field hockey alums who seemed in much better spirits.
She wiped the bar in front of the ex-whiskey drinker. “You driving, Shawn?”
“I drive a Dream Tangerine Surly Cross-Check.”
“Huh?”
“That orange bicycle out front.”
“You got good balance?”
“I. . .” Shawn considered. “Yeah.”
Kissy smiled. She refilled his water. “You stay as long as you need.”
And she continued her way around to where Tim and Avi sat sharing a bottle of Prosecco. She pulled the dripping bottle out of its ice bucket and refilled their glasses.
“One of you is planning to go pick up Julia from the police station, right?”
Avi set down his drink. “I told them I had to leave work because I had food poisoning. I can’t go back for at least twenty-four hours.”
He turned to look at Tim who was gazing into his glass. Kissy took it from him. “Tim?”
He looked up. “What? I can’t pick her up.”
Kissy tilted her head.
He bristled. “She’s at the police station.”
“That’s why I can’t go,” Avi pointed out.
“I kill people for a living.”
Kissy took his glass and drank from it. “Bad people. Maybe you’ll find a client there.”
Avi raised his glass to that and clinked it with Kissy’s. As they drank, Kissy’s phone buzzed in her apron.
She pulled it out and grimaced. “It’s Julia.” And she held it out for them to read.
Don’t worry ab
out me assholes, Kimi’s mom gave me a ride home from the hospital.”
“Perfect!” Avi perked up. “Of course they took Moira to the hospital.”
“Well, Julia’s home safe now. Moira is in good hands. And my target is going to the morgue,” Tim declared. “Shall I take you home, Kissy, and make it a perfect evening?” He took Avi’s glass and raised it to Kissy.
Kissy didn’t return the toast. She glared at him. “Call Brit.”
“She wasn’t my date. She’s nineteen years old.”
“And a felon because she paid to have you murder someone,” Avi pointed out.
“But if she didn’t pay you, she’s still innocent.”
Tim tapped his breast pocket. “But she did pay me. A lot of kids paid me.”
“So a lot of kids are going to feel guilty for the rest of their lives.”
“Not just feel. They are guilty,” Avi added.
“We’re gonna make them not guilty.” Kissy pulled a folded manila envelope from her apron pocket and set it on the bar. She slid it towards Tim. “I’d like to pay you to kill Coach Kevin Koehler.”
“Great. I’ll need twenty-five thousand dollars and proof that he deserves to die.”
“You said ten.”
“They’re kids. I charged them ten. You’re an adult. For you it’s twenty-five, cash.”
“I’ve got ten, cash.”
“Where did you get ten thousand dollars?”
“The mayor made Jack cash out Koehler’s tip before he’d leave. Wanted to be sure we got our inheritance.”
“There’s something odd about that mayor,” Avi muttered.
“Yeah,” Tim agreed. “He told me to vote for the other guy for governor.”
“Give the money back, Timothy.”
“I will do it first thing tomorrow.” Tim pat the bulge in his pocket.
Kissy looked at Avi in frustration. Avi set down his champagne and stood. He pulled a pair of cuffs from his belt and clasped one ring onto Tim’s wrist.
“Ok. Geez.” Tim held his coat open so Kissy could pull the white envelope from his pocket. “Shawn!” he hollered over to the kid on the north bar.
Shawn jumped off his stool and looking around nervously made his way over to the trio. Sad Sally toasted him with the hint of a smile as he passed. Before he got too close, Avi slid a napkin over Tim’s right hand to hide the special bracelet.
“Give it to him,” Tim said. “He’ll get it back to Brit.” Then to Shawn he said, “I regret to inform you I was unable to complete the assignment.”
Shawn looked completely lost. “But he’s. . .” He glanced at Kissy and Avi.
“It’s okay. They’re on the team.”
“He’s dead,” Shawn blurted out.
Avi took the white envelope from Tim and placed it into Shawn’s hand. “Yeah. Suicide. Taking your money would be fraud.”
“It really was—“
Tim didn’t let him finish. “Put that in your bag, Shawn and go see Brit.”
Avi pushed him a little and Shawn stumbled back to his stool. They watched the kid lean forward to tuck the cash into his bag and then glance over to the other guys. He shrugged at them and took a long drink of water.
Tim took the manila envelope and started to fold it into his pocket, the free end of the handcuffs clanking on the bar.
“Huh uh, big boy.” Kissy slammed a hand on the envelope.
She reached inside and pulled out three business envelopes. She handed one to Avi, slipped one in her apron, and slid the third over to Tim. “We don’t work for free either.”
“Officer, I’d like to report a robbery.”
Avi stood and drained his glass. “I’m off duty.”
Tim stood too. “Hey.”
Avi grabbed the free loop of the handcuffs and attached it to the brass rail under the bar. “I’m gonna go help Kissy fix the surveillance computer you broke. In the Big Brother room. With the door locked.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Tim winked.
Kissy grabbed Tim’s glass and drained it. She refilled it with the last of the champagne and then set his glass just out of reach. “See you around, KC.”
“Come on,” Tim begged. “I know you carry a key.”
“Yes,” Kissy confirmed as she walked away. “Yes, I do.”
“What have I done to deserve this?” He held his wrist up as high as the cuffs would let him.
Kissy paused. “I think you can figure it out if you just consult your conscience.”
She smiled over her shoulder and kept on walking.
The End
Morphine
Killer on Call
book three
by
Gwendolyn Druyor
KillerOnCall.com
Copyright © 2015 by Gwendolyn Druyor
One
Despite the strawberry sweetness of the candy gem, Kissy’s mouth was filled with bitterness. She couldn’t hear her own ukulele. She couldn’t feel her feet as she tap danced so lightly in time to the ticking. She smelled her own fear, felt it rolling in sweat down her back under the black witch’s cloak hiding the bulky vest. Her vision had tunneled to a single spotlight view as she looked around at the room sparsely populated with too many hospital staff, patients and their families. All of them leaning in closely to hear her perform. She counted the people wearing candy necklaces. Not just patients now.
She saw Julia’s doctor about to take a bite from his necklace and ran toward him on the metal tips of her shoes. Riffing on her ukulele, she made up a verse.
“You’ll want to show a pretty smile.
When we judge the best disguise.
So save your necklace for a while
Cuz one of them is worth a prize.”
She forced a smile on her face and it became real as the doctor deliberately took the necklace out of his mouth and looked around at patients who were doing the same.
She danced back around the couches and wheelchairs to the slightly raised wooden platform that was their stage. She tapped for sixteen bars facing the giant glass wall acting as a backdrop. The hospital looked over the lake shore and the sun was just starting its descent into the water, setting the waves on fire with orange light. She watched for a moment, blinking back the tears that wanted to pour down her cheeks. Then she dragged a toe around in a circle and a half and froze, seeing Tim wearing light green scrubs running full speed into the room with Avi on his heels.
Tim stopped dead before anyone in the audience could see his panic. Avi, five inches taller and nearly a hundred pounds heavier, ran full on into Tim. Kissy actually laughed and then dragged her eyes away to keep the audience from all turning to see.
She danced over to Ella, the old woman with a purple racing wheelchair and played rhythms on the chair for a bit. Then she remembered what she was wearing and backed away again as far as she could go.
Avi and Tim had recovered their balance. They were arguing in whispers, Avi holding Tim’s arm, trying to keep him where he was. Kissy danced and sang as Tim hit her boyfriend in the nuts and broke away. He ran straight for the stage where he put a hand on the tuning keys of her Uke and another hand on her hip.
He danced her in a circle along the stage, whispering. “I’m gonna unzip the robe and take a look.”
Kissy nodded, smiling broadly. As Tim spun around on the stage, dancing with no rhythm, Kissy watched and made faces at the audience. When he slipped behind her, Kissy began a speed run of tap moves that focused all eyes on her toes. She tried to focus on the dance and not on her wildly beating heart. Every now and again Tim would pop his head out to the side and the kids would laugh.
She finished the song with less of a flourish than usual. Normally she would end with a cartwheel into splits. But not today. Today she raced through a complicated riff on the ukulele and flung it into the air as she felt Tim zip up the witch’s robe. He caught the ukulele on its way down and then dipped her in a kiss as the crowd applauded wildly. His arms were w
rapped firmly around her, firmly around the vest that had been locked onto her body. The kiss was long and warm and deep. And as the applause went on, Tim continued to hold her and tears welled up in his eyes.
“I can’t disarm it. I can’t get it off you.” He kissed her again, short but sweet. “And we’ve only got seven minutes until the bomb explodes.”
Two
Tim’s stomach growled as he stood in the back of the hospital’s lounge. It was just a little past noon and he’d been hoping to grab some food before the performance. Kissy had suggested he run by the cafeteria but he wasn’t that desperate yet. One would think there’d be bowls of candy everywhere on October twenty-ninth. He dug through his MacGyver style man bag hoping to find some morsel he’d forgotten about. No luck.
About fifteen patients were gathered in the lounge with an equal number of staff and family around them. Parquet flooring, deep blue paint, and a full length window on the back wall made it the warmest room in the institution. The walls were covered with artwork done by the patients. Years of therapy hung up for the world to see.
The small crowd listened intently to Avi’s acapella group the GinNtonix. Despite being a cop, Avi Kee was a friend of sorts. The man was dating Kissy Castillo, a good friend of Tim’s from high school and his sister Julia’s BFF. He and Tim had met a couple of times and he’d proven himself useful and discreet.
Kissy and Julia, sporting her new walking cast, were sitting in the front row near the kid who had begged GinNtonix to come perform for Halloween. Danny, had some disease that was slowly killing him. They’d discovered it when he was five and he’d been in and out of hospitals for the ten years since. Avi could never say no to a dying kid.
Avi was by far the largest member of his quintet. He stood a head taller than the tallest of the three other men and could probably bench press the lone woman. Avi sang bass. Even Tim had to admit he could understand Kissy’s attraction to that voice. When Avi spoke, you could feel it in your lungs before you heard him. And when he sang, it was so gorgeous Tim wanted to kill him.
Not for real.
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