“Billy told me that Briggs’ parents were dead and he has no siblings,” Merry said. “So gambling is what his entertainment is. That’s why Billy kept lending him the money. I didn’t realize he owed so much.”
“I see what you mean. There’s no one else the guy is responsible for. But ultimately he’s responsible for himself and his own self-respect. You said he was a good lawyer. Let that be his legacy. Besides, if he got some of the mob people to lend him money in the future, they are not as forgiving as you and Billy are. Briggs would not have a long life.”
“I think you did a good thing, Todd, but you also told me that the casino tapes showed that Briggs did not kill Billy.”
“That’s right. I’m still searching.”
CHAPTER FORTY NINE
The next day at the office Chief Trimble came over to Todd’s desk. When Todd looked up the big man blocked the view of the three desks Todd could usually see. One of Todd’s colleagues said that Trimble could block out God’s shadow. At the moment Todd would be facing his boss’ belly button area.
“Henson, I might have a lead for you on that Jessup case,” Trimble said.
“I’ve been trying, Chief, but I’m getting nowhere. I’ll take any kind of lead.”
“Burgoyne has been handling a case where it seems like s slew of homeless men are being killed. Seven of them the last two months. Because of his tattered clothes and sleeping in junk yard car, could Billy have been thought of in the same category?”
“It’s possible.”
“Talk to Burgoyne.”
Leland Burgoyne had been with the unit for over twenty years. He kept to himself and did his job. Todd did just about the same thing, and as a result he didn’t know the man very well. What he liked about him was that the couple times he heard Leland talk to the other men he did not have any kind of superior air, like I know it all. He listened to the opinion of others, and didn’t try to be the one controlling the conversation.
Burgoyne’s unusual trait was that he would not look directly at another person even when he was talking directly to them. Todd had heard that Leland had come from a military family, and staring at your drill sergeant—or your father--was forbidden. At least that was the rumor around the office.
Todd approached Burgoyne’s desk. “Leland, the Chief tells me that your case with the homeless killings could be connected to one of mine.”
Yes, there was the look away. “Really, well let’s work together. Maybe we’ll get double pay.”
His non-joke was directed down toward his desk, and even his laugh at his own humor was said into his computer. Anything, but looking directly at Todd.
Leland drove, telling Todd they were going to a place he was familiar with, but it wasn’t that easy to get to it. Thank goodness he did look straight at the road while he was driving.
They drove under a bridge, stopped the car, walked down an alley and then lifted a manhole cover. An iron ladder led them into a world Todd had never seen before. With dim lights making some sight possible Todd walked into an entire community. It looked as if at least fifty people inhabited possibly the next mile area with their blankets, cardboard and plastic structures. A couple people, Burgoyne said, had not been above for an entire year.
Leland told Todd that three people from this community had been murdered in the last six months, and so he wanted to ask questions to see what people had noticed. The three people had all been killed above as the inhabitants called it. Leland wanted to talk to one person in particular, known as Rabbit because he could scurry from place to place doing errands for his friends down there.
Rabbit, maybe fittingly was wearing a track suit, but the Fedora was what made him stylish. He said he had found the hat in the trash in back of a tuxedo rental place. His beard hung three inches past his chin; the silver nose ring his only facial jewelry.
He was hurrying past them, when Burgoyne stopped him, literally getting in front of him.
“Rabbit, tell Officer Henson what you told me yesterday.”
“I was above when I saw Marcellus down the alley examining a pile of thrown-away clothing. I was going to pass by the alley when I suddenly saw Marcellus grabbed from behind and dragged to the side of the building. I got scared and ran. I should have tried to help him, but I was a coward.” Tears appeared.
“Easy Rabbit,” Leland said, “If you had jumped in there you might have been the one killed.”
“So Marcellus was killed?” Todd asked.
“Yes,” Leland replied, “strangled like all the rest.”
“They were too far away for me to see the face of the killer,” Rabbit said. “But I saw his uniform. It was the clothing of a policeman.”
“A policeman?” Todd was shocked.
“I am certain of it. I have been arrested too many times to not know what it looks like.”
Rabbit left them, then, to go above on an errand for some food for a resident who lived under a playground slide that had been brought underground.
“So we’re looking for a killer cop?” Todd asked.
“It seems so,” Leland answer. Not everyone down here has reliable information. There is paranoia and psychotic breaks, but Rabbit is one of the more reliable authorities. I think it is a cop in this precinct, walking a beat. Rabbit did not talk about a police car in the vicinity. I have narrowed it down to two men. I checked the precinct’s schedule, and the two of them alternate days coming into his particular area. I could not get information on which one of the two was down here the particular day Marcellus was killed. It wouldn’t matter anyway because they also walk the adjacent neighborhood the other day. It would take one of them only ten minutes to get here from the other area.”
“How are you going to approach the two men?”
“That’s where you enter the scene. To me you have the face of someone who could be homeless. Most of these murders occurred in the late afternoon just before dinner. My theory is that the killer does his deed right before the evening meal. Now what we’re going to do is get you outfitted into the best homeless clothes, and have you rummage around the trash here for the next few days. I think the attacker will find you.”
“Gee, that’s great. Maybe if I get killed then you’ll know for sure.”
“Don’t worry. You won’t be able to see me, but I’ll be watching. I won’t let you die, at least not on purpose. Just kidding. Are you in?”
“I suppose so. What choice do I have?”
“None, if you want to catch a killer.”
The next afternoon Todd was wearing a ripped orange T-shirt with coffee stains down the side of it, plus some paisley shorts with a rip down the back. His sandals had the top straps of both shoes broken, so Todd couldn’t run away if he wanted to. They had shopped all morning into a half dozen trash bins to find the appropriate outfit.
Leland laughed when he finally saw him all dressed down. “You sure you weren’t actually a homeless man in another life? It’s a perfect transformation.”
“Yeah, go ahead and laugh. Just don’t take any pictures. If this guy shows up, you’d better rescue me. I can think of better ways to die than being strangled.”
The first afternoon of the disguise, Todd collected all kinds of memorabilia such as two Raggedy Ann dolls, three sets of Mickey Mouse ears, and a fire truck with no wheels and half a ladder. He put his treasures into a trash bag he was lugging around for the visual effect. Leland told him he could keep whatever he found.
“That’s so generous of you,” Todd said. “Now I have all my Christmas gifts for next year.”
The second day of the performance was going along like the first with nothing happening other than the bag getting full. The old song, That’s Amore, began running through Todd’s mind, and to entertain himself as he picked through mounds of trash, he began singing.
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore. When the--.
The hands around his neck were like iron, not only choking off his words, but also his t
otal breath. He couldn’t draw in any air. The hands tightened. The trash bin began to spin and then get cloudy. He was falling. He suddenly was at a baseball game because he knew he heard the bat hitting the ball, but the ball made a squishing sound.
When he awoke, Leland was standing over him. “Don’t try to get up right away. That guy was fast and powerful. I couldn’t pull him off you, so I had to use the bat I brought. I made a little dent in his head, but he’ll be all right for his prison term. And if he isn’t, who cares. The guy is scum.”
Todd tried to sit up. The sky started to spin so he laid back down. “Was the guy a cop?”
“You bet. He’s put in more years than I had, twenty-five. When he regained consciousness and I put him in with the boys I had as backup he said he wanted to purify the neighborhood, get the riff-raff out of here. So he was a one-man vacuum cleaner. He bragged about the people he had killed, saying he thought of them as rats who had to be exterminated for the health of the community. He described each person. They were still vivid in his mind. For your benefit since you were still out, I told him he had missed talking about one, a fellow named Billy sleeping in a car. He said he had never come across anyone sleeping in a car. Since he was bragging so much about the other killings I was sure he would have included that junk yard death. But he wouldn’t admit to it. So I thank you for your help, Todd, but I think you’ve still got an active case.”
CHAPTER FIFTY
Going back over his original interview notes, Todd found someone else he had failed to contact, the owner of the salvage yard where Billy was murdered.
Gino Gianna had owned that property for almost ten years. Todd had never thought much about it, but there must be profit in the junk world because he could not find any other business that Gianna owned.
Down Passyunk Avenue and past 61st, Todd turned into the salvage yard. There was a hut in the middle of it for protection in the winter, but now in the good weather Gino was out and about, at the moment opening and closing a huge freezer just hauled off a large truck still standing there.
Todd parked and walked over, sidestepping three TV sets with the rabbit ears of thirty years ago. “You didn’t find a dead body in that freezer, did you?”
The man looked up with a scowl. The face could have been in a Tarantino movie: thin lips, a recessed chin and a deformed ear. His lips barely moved which could have been a smile.
“If you buy it, you can put a body in it if you wish,” he said.
“No, I’ve had enough trouble dealing with the one dead man who was found in your yard.”
The scowl was back. “How do you know about that? I’ve tried to keep it quiet. Dead people aren’t good advertising for business here.”
“My name is Henson. Todd Henson. I’m investigating the murder of that man, Billy Jessup.” Todd offered his hand for a shake. Gianna didn’t offer his.
“So why are you here? You should be out catching that killer.”
“Maybe I’m at the right place.”
“Yeah, that would be real smart of me to kill a guy on my property and leave him there for the cops to find him. I didn’t know the guy, and I had never seen him before. I guess he went into the car for shelter. That’s the story. So I’m so very glad to meet you, Mr. Detective. Unless you want to buy something here, I suggest you depart. I’ve got a buyer coming for this freezer, and I have to get it ready.”
Not the friendliest person Todd had ever met. Todd had done his research and knew that a year earlier Gino had divorced his wife of fourteen years, Lucy Dubricio. She lived not too far from the yard. She was Todd’s next stop.
The South Philly row home looked like its own junk yard, with mostly toys scattered around the tiny grass plot. There was a swing set in the back yard, but both seats were hanging there broken. The screen door was locked, but there was a large tear in the middle of the mesh so Todd could knock on the door itself. There seemed to be no bell.
He had to knock three times before the door was opened. Standing there was a dark-haired woman resting a crying child on her large bosoms. Another child maybe a year old was hanging on to her leg.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry. If you’re busy I can come back later.”
“What do you mean IF I’m busy? Does it look like I’m out sunning myself having a cold mint julep? Of course I’m busy, but I’m always busy. Explain what you want, and I’ll see if I let you into my splendid castle.”
“I want to talk to you about your ex-husband, Gino.”
“Hey, I can talk to you all day about that bastard. Come on in.”
At the top of the staircase, Todd saw two eyes peeking around the corner. As Lucy and he moved toward the kitchen there was movement, and a small body possessing the eyes revealed itself. The boy might have been three. On the way to the kitchen Todd was nearly run over by another kid riding a hot wheels vehicle. That kid was the oldest so far, maybe six. The rest of the house may have been a mess, but the kitchen was spotless. This must be Lucy’s domain, Todd thought. As she swayed from side to side walking in front of him, Todd guessed the woman could be a hundred pounds overweight. So either this woman had a medical condition, or she loved to cook for herself.
There was half eaten piece of chocolate cake on the table. Lucy sat down and with two forkfuls wolfed down the remainder. “Sit down, my man, and tell me what you want to know about Gino, the magnificent,” she said. “Maybe you’re a legal eagle, and my petitions to the welfare office have been answered to get that weasel to pay the support he owes.”
“No, I’m sorry, I’m a police detective. There was a murdered man found on Gino’s salvage yard property.”
“I knew that. When I first heard about a dead person there, I hoped and prayed it was Gino, but I was disappointed.”
“You were married to him for fourteen years?”
“You know, sir, the first eight or nine were all right. I think he ran around on me a little, but when he was home he treated me fine. No shouting, no punching. But then we began having kids. Oh my god, what a difference. Gino cannot abide kids. I told him to use protection, but he wouldn’t do it, and he didn’t want me to use anything. It wasn’t natural he kept saying. Yeah he was natural all right, like a tornado is natural. He got mean, and that’s when the beatings began. He’d come home drunk, one of the kids or all of the kids began crying and whining. He’s start yelling and it would end with the punches. I took it much longer than I should have for the sake of the kids. I had no income coming in. Gino was our sole support.”
“But you did finally divorce him.”
“I couldn’t take it anymore. I was sure eventually he would kill me.”
“Do you think he could kill?”
“Sir, if you were there during some of those nights you would be absolutely certain that this man was a killer. A couple times I thought I was dead. I will say when I told him we had to split up, he did leave me this house, and he sends me some money but not the amount required by the welfare office. He was overjoyed to get away from the kids.”
At the moment the oldest boy had abandoned the hot wheel racing and was climbing up onto the counter trying to reach a cookie jar that apparently had been hidden in a top cabinet. The baby lying a Lucy’s chest had fallen asleep, but the little one who had his arms wrapped around her leg at the door was still continuously pulling at her skirt as she sat there. It was not clear what he wanted. The upstairs observer had not come down to join them. Todd assumed he was still upstairs, and that was verified a minute later when there was a loud crash.
“Excuse me, sir, I have to see what the trouble is,” Lucy said.
The little kid at the table pulling on her skirt, followed her out of the room still hanging on to the fabric. Todd took a deep breath with his moment of silence. Just as he was about to sit back and relax, a dog entered the kitchen. It looked like a Great Dane. Walking up to the table the dog’s height was even with Todd sitting there. He began to nuzzle into Todd’s armpit.
Todd saw a bag of dry dog
food in the corner. He retrieved it and filled the bowl on the floor. Three chomps, food was gone, and Todd was subjected to more nuzzling. To get away from this animal, Todd walked back down the hall to those stairs. He called up, “Ms. Dubricio, is everything all right up there?” There was no answer.
Todd waited two more minutes at the bottom of those stairs, before Lucy appeared. She was holding a fish bowl with one tiny goldfish swimming merrily around. “I can’t afford a fish tank,” she said, “but I got the fish because the kids seemed fascinated by them when we were in the pet store. I fill the bowl quite a few times a day. Cleavon, my oldest always sees me do it, so today he was trying to help. He ended up dropping the bowl, and everything spilled out including the fish. I used to have three fish in this bowl. Our cat just ate two of them. I’ll be down in a minute.”
They were once again seated in the kitchen, but now with less child pressure. The upstairs crisis had been handled, the kid tugging at the dress had been given three cookies and was now politely seated at the other end of the table munching away. Upstairs apparently she had put the baby into his crib, and even the dog lying on the floor was satiated due to his dish being filled up again when Lucy came downstairs.
Todd resumed the conversation. “So you divorced Gino mainly due to his violent nature?”
“That was probably the main reason. The other was his salvage business. The guy was fanatical about keeping his property clean. Really, I ask you, how clean must a junk yard be? One time a couple kids were fooling around in one area of it throwing stuff around. Gino went nuts. I was there. I had to pull him away from the teen-agers. I think he would have killed them. After that incident he bought a gun, and then if he saw any intruders he’s shoot at them before he asked any questions. He never hit anyone because he was such a bad shot. He would have to come up to someone sound asleep to make sure he would hit him. He definitely didn’t want anyone messing up his yard. He had some kind of order to it, and he wanted it kept that way.”
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