by B. A. Savage
“Yes, what happened, Joe?”
“Well, sir, a little old lady approached me on the street and claimed the purse was hers.”
“What happened, old man? It looks like she kicked your ass,” Vic said.
“What did she look like?”
“She was short and fat, with silver hair. She smelled like she been drinking gin.”
“Peggy,” I said.
“Peggy Wilson, she the one who gave you the purse?” Vic asked.
“Yes, she gave me a red purse. What happened next, Joe?”
“When I wouldn’t give her the purse, she started yelling. A guy came to help her and punched me in the face.”
“The old lady got the purse?” I asked.
“Yes, she ran off with it. The man held me down until an officer showed up.”
“Was Miss Long alright when you left her?”
“Yes, sir, do you think she’s alright?”
“I don’t know. If someone seen me take the purse into her house, they could be after her.”
“Here, Randall, give her a call,” Vic said, giving me his cell phone.
“You see, Vic, the whole thing has something to do with that red purse.”
“Yes, I understand that, Randall. But what’s so valuable about that red purse?”
“Hello, honey, are you alright?” I said as Jennifer picked up the phone.
“No, I’m not. Randall, please, I need you.”
“What happened?”
“A guy broke into the house, looking for that old purse. I told him I didn’t know where it was, and he started slapping me.”
“He did?”
“Yes, he did. And now I need you here to make the pain go away.”
“Honey, I’ll be home later. But I still have something to do. Lock all the doors until Joe gets back. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
“Did you get that purse, Randall?”
“Joe will tell you all about it. Bye, honey.”
“Bye, Randall.”
“Vic, some guy broke into the house looking for the purse. She told him she didn’t have it, and he slapped her around. If you’re finished with Joe, he needs to get home and protect Jennifer.”
“Yes, he can go.” Vic picks up his office phone. “Lorenzo, I’m releasing the old man arrested for purse snatching.”
“Thank you, sir,” Joe said to the lieutenant.
“Joe, go straight home and don’t let anyone in the house.”
“Yes, Mister Stone.”
“Vic, give me 4 hours to find out what’s going on.”
“Are you going after Peggy?”
“Yes.”
“If she is tied up in this killing, I better send some officers along.”
“Vic, give me 4 hours. I want to find the guy who smacked Jennifer around first.”
“Are you going to kill him?”
“No.”
“Okay, you have 4 hours. But after that, I’m going to put out an all points for you, Peggy, and that damn purse. You know where she lives, Randall?”
“She lives on East Fifth Street in one of those low income houses. As soon as I find out something, I’ll let you know.”
Chapter Ten
I grab a cab, and twenty minutes later, I was standing on the 400 block of East Fifth Street. Houses on the left side of the street was a line of run down, one bedroom shacks and one of them belonged to Peggy Wilson.
“Want something, pal?”
I look to see a man standing in a door, smoking a cigarette.
“Does old Peggy live in one of those houses?”
“Yeah, she lives in the last house at the end.”
“Okay, thank you.”
I knocked but received no answer. I tried the knob, and the door was open. So, I pulled out my pistol and slowly entered.
Chapter Eleven
The inside of the house looked like the outside but smelled like something had died. Someone had torn it to pieces. Peggy had gotten the same treatment. She was lying on the wooden floor, staring at me. She couldn’t close her eyes because the rope around her neck was squeezing them open.
“Is she dead?”
“What?” I asked, looking at the man who was outside smoking.
“I followed you down here to see what was going on.”
“The next time you sneak up on someone, you could get hurt.”
“I’m just trying to see what’s going on. Is she dead?”
“How long have you been standing outside?”
“I haven’t been there long. Why?”
“Have you seen anyone enter this house?”
“No, I didn’t even know Miss Peggy was home. Is she dead?”
“It looks like it.”
“What are you, a detective?”
“Yes, but I’m private.”
“Want to call the cops?”
“Yes, call Lieutenant Morgan on Main Street and tell him what happened here. Tell him I went over to the Night’s Hotel in North Park. My name is Randall Stone.”
Chapter Twelve
He left in a hurry. I went through my pockets and took another look at the box of matches. The matches were from the Night’s Hotel. So, I got over there fast.
The sleepy night clerk showed me the registry for $50. I took a quick look and found a name.
I remember the initials on the purse were J.E. Jessica Evans was staying in room 206. I went upstairs and knocked on the door.
“Yes.” a female voice replied.
“I have a message for you, Miss Evans.”
“I’m busy, slide it under the door.”
“I can’t do that.”
“What is it?”
“It’s from Peggy.”
“Okay, I’m coming.”
A few seconds later, the door opens and a beautiful blonde, with dark brown eyes and an hourglass figure was standing there with a pistol in her hand.
“Now, shut the door and have a seat. What do you want?”
“I just left Peggy, and she’s dead.”
“What did you say?”
“You heard me, Jessica. She’s dead.”
“How did you find me?”
“The matches in your purse, they were from this hotel. I check the initials on the purse with the hotel’s registry and found you.”
“You must be the private dick Peggy gave the purse to earlier.”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“She called me.”
“She tells you she got the purse back?”
“I think I said enough. Now get out.”
“If I walk out that door, you’ll be facing two murder charges.”
She turns her back for a moment, and that’s all I need. I stepped up behind her and stuck my 9mm in her back.
“Drop it, Jessica.” The gun hit the floor and she began to cry.
“Please, Mister, I didn’t kill Peggy.”
“Where is the purse?”
“I don’t have it, honest.”
“Well, who does?”
“Mister, I don’t know.”
“That’s right, she doesn’t know, Mister. You shouldn’t leave your door open, Jessica, any lowlife can walk in.” the big man said.
“Tom, he’s a private dick and he come here to shove me around.”
“He should have killed you. It would save me the trouble.”
“What do you mean, Tom?”
“You no good bitch. Ali and I saw you give the purse to that old dame. Ali was killed trying to get it back from this private eye.”
“I didn’t kill Ali, the private dick did.”
“No, he didn’t kill Ali either. I went to the office and found him dying. He told me the old woman shot him.”
“What are you going to do, Tom?”
“The organization doesn’t like being double-crossed. I got the purse from the old dame and paid her back for killing Ali. Now I have to take care of you, Jessica, for double-crossing us.”
“I have a surprise
for you, Tom,” I said, raising my pistol.
“Look out, Tom, he has a gun. Shoot him, Tom! Don’t just stand there, kill him.” Jessica yells.
The thug turns to me, and I’m pointing my pistol at his head.
“I don’t have the time for a shootout with this dick. I’ll take care of you later, Jessica, and that’s a promise.” He backed out the door.
“Okay, Jessica, where is he going with that purse?”
“If I tell you, will you let me go?”
“I don’t have the time to take you downtown, Jessica. When I leave, you are on your own. I don’t think you have done anything the law can arrest you for. But, before I leave, I want the story. What’s so damn important about that purse?”
“He’s headed for a locker in the bus station on Circle 4. The purse has a key in it the key is inside the tube of lipstick, and the key opens the locker. ”
“What’s in the locker?”
“It has over $250,000 worth of counterfeit bonds in it.”
“Counterfeit bonds. You are a bad girl, Jessica. Now I’m going to have to keep you here to tell Lieutenant Morgan about the key.”
“But, you said you will let me go.”
“Just tell Morgan the truth. I’m sure he will work something out with you.”
Chapter Thirteen
I locked her in the bedroom closet and told the night clerk to tell Lieutenant Morgan about the blonde in the closet of room 206.
The bus station wasn’t far, but Tom had a head start, and he was in a hurry. I ran down North Park, into the station, just in time to see Tom. He had just taken a box from the locker and as he turns to leave, I walked up behind him.
“Hello, Tom. What’s in that box?”
“Here, why don’t you take it?”
He throws the box in my face and runs to the exit but a crowd of people was blocking the door. When he saw me pull out my gun, he dove behind a door and squeezed off two slugs at me. I tried to get a clear shot, but there were too many people.
Then he did a stupid thing. He ran out of the bus station across Circle 4; he made it halfway before a truck ran him down.
Chapter Fourteen
I was in a taxi headed across town when my cell phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Randall.”
“Yes.”
“This is Vic Morgan, where are you?”
“I’m headed to my girlfriend’s house. Did you get the blonde out of the closet?”
“Yes, she told me the whole story. Do you want to hear it?”
“She told me most of it in the hotel room. She was working with a counterfeit ring and was trying to go into business for herself. The purse had a lipstick case inside, with a key in it and the key to a locker at the bus station.”
“Ali Campbell, the man found dead in your office was shot by Peggy Wilson. And she was killed by Tom Brown, Ali’s partner, and Tom, the man killed on Circle 4. All these people were tied to a counterfeit ring. They would place bonds in lockers all over the city to be picked up by their out of town contacts. A pretty smooth operation until they ran into you. Good job, Randall. I know you didn’t get paid for all this trouble, so I told the chief you were working as an agent in the department. He agreed to pay your fee.”
“Thanks, buddy. Good evening.”
As the firebugs danced into the headlight, and the night air blew through my hair, I wondered what would have happened to old Peggy if I had not taken her case. I hope you can rest in peace, Peggy.
Two Free Gifts
As a way of saying thanks for your purchase, I’m offering two free mysteries that’s exclusive to my readers. Double Cross and Dead On Impact fast-paced, suspenseful plot… The story’s complicated and intriguing twists and turns keep the reader guessing until the chilling ending.
Sign up for the author’s New Releases mailing list and get a FREE copy of the latest novels Double Cross and Dead On Impact Randall Stone Mysteries…
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MYSTERY THRILLER: BOX SET (8 books in 1) Keeps readers guessing as twists & turns unfold….
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MYSTERY, CRIME AND SUSPENSE: BOX SET (10 books in 1) Keeps readers guessing as twists & turns unfold
New Release Sale Price: $0.99 for a limited time. Purchased individually, the books in this set would cost $29.99. You save $29.00!
(DOWNLOAD HERE)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PA8VV1Y
FROM THE B.A. SAVAGE
Alex French Series
Book 1
Into Darkness
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNR86F0
Book 2:
The Scorned
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L4T3MHO
Book 3:
Dangerous Game
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNR8966
Book 4
Deception
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LR0O7S8
Book 5
Extortion
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LZFW3Z4
Book 6
Suspicion
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MBQNWNI
Book 7
Skyjacker
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0DGUH6
Book 8
Judgment
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NDJ9ULU
Book 9
Suicide
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NQJ5L5Q
Book 10
Psychopath
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O3YPP8G
Shakedown
An Randall Stone Mystery
B.A. Savage
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This Novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locates is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2014 B.A. Savage
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the permission of the author.
Visit the author’s websites:
https://sites.google.com/site/mysterybysavage/
Follow me on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Bsavage50S
Two Free Gifts
As a way of saying thanks for your purchase, I’m offering two free mysteries that’s exclusive to my readers. Double Cross and Dead On Impact fast-paced, suspenseful plot… The story’s complicated and intriguing twists and turns keep the reader guessing until the chilling ending.
Sign up for the author’s New Releases mailing list and get a FREE copy of the latest novels Double Cross and Dead On Impact Randall Stone Mysteries…
http://bit.ly/1HvvhAD
MYSTERY THRILLER: BOX SET (8 books in 1) Keeps readers guessing as twists & turns unfold….
FLAT RATE Sale Price $0.99 limited time. MYSTERY, CRIME & SUSPENSE: BOX SET (8 books in 1)…
(Download Here)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SQRMJU8
MYSTERY, CRIME AND SUSPENSE: BOX SET (10 books in 1) Keeps readers guessing as twists & turns unfold
New Release Sale Price: $0.99 for a limited time. Purchased individually, the books in this set would cost $29.99. You save $29.00!
(DOWNLOAD HERE)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PA8VV1Y
FROM THE B.A. SAVAGE
Alex French Series
Book 1
Into Darkness
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNR86F0
Book 2:
The Scorned
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L4T3MHO
Book 3:
Dangerous Game
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNR8966
Book 4
Deception
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LR0O7S8
Book 5
Extortion
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LZFW3Z4
Book 6
Suspicion
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MBQNWNI
Book 7
Skyjacker
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0DGUH6
Book 8
Judgment
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NDJ9ULU
Book 9
Suicide
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NQJ5L5Q
Book 10
Psychopath
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O3YPP8G
Chapter One
Seven o’clock in the morning was much too early for me to meet a client. I stepped up on the porch and rang the doorbell, and the sound of a dog barking erupted on the other side the door. The door opened and a woman stood holding a pit bull by his collar.
“Mister Stone?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been waiting for you, please come in.”
The dog didn’t trust me and showed me by displaying his teeth.
“What’s your dog’s name?”
“His name is Bear.”
“Well, it seems Bear doesn’t like me.”
"Oh, don’t worry about him. Please sit down. With Paul working late, he wanted me to have protection. He’s very gentle with me.”
“I bet he is.”
“Can I get you anything, some coffee?”
“No, thank you.”
“I guess you’d like to know why I asked you here.”
“Well, my phone service just said you wanted to see me.”
“This is a very private matter and I don’t know if I can trust you.”
“Mrs. Towne, anything you tell me stays rights here.”
“I need you to find out something about my husband.”