by Irving Munro
Tommy ended the call and sat back in the driver’s seat. It was the end of the day at the tail of a tough week. Marie didn’t look that great. Her partner, Shelly, was visiting her sick mother in Corpus Christi over the weekend and Tommy knew that she would be on her own.
“Let me buy you a drink,” offered Tommy. They had never been out socially before but Tommy felt bad for Marie. It’s not every day you stumble on a stranger’s porn collection.
“What about Claire?”
“I had planned to go out with my buddies tonight, so Claire is having a sleep over at Papa and Mimi’s house.”
“OK, then,” said Marie. “Just a couple of drinks.”
“I know the perfect place,” said Tommy. “Let’s get out of here.”
~
The Brooklyn Heights Pizzeria was Tommy’s favorite joint. Amongst the giant pizzas and generous pours, his favorite was a Saturday morning breakfast sandwich called the “Bronx Bomber.” It was a leviathan of steak, eggs, bacon, and French fries all on a hoagie bun. If you ate enough of them, you would look like Babe Ruth in less than a month, so Tommy limited his indulgence accordingly.
The owner of Brooklyn Heights, Dan Brody, was like Tommy: a rare breed. He was a Raiders fan in the middle of Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans country. When Tommy walked in that night, it was high fives all around as the patrons gathered for preseason football. The Raiders were playing the Giants.
“This is why Claire is at my mom and dad’s house tonight,” explained Tommy.
Marie was in no need of an explanation. She was in need of a drink. A pitcher of Dos Equis was ordered and arrived along with a couple of shots of Patron Silver.
“Your health!” said Tommy.
“And yours!” said Marie, as the first shot of the night hit the spot.
“We should get some food. I have a ritual that I need to explain to you. Each time the Raiders score, I order another shot of Patron,” explained Tommy.
“You must leave this bar pretty sober most times then,” laughed Marie.
And so the evening went. Two work colleagues and two friends enjoying a good time together. They both needed it. Neither of them knew that very soon, their friendship would be tested to the fullest extent but for tonight, it was all about a few laughs at Brooklyn Heights. The Raiders won 31-3 and they watched the whole game together joking with the patrons and teasing Giants fans who now had resigned themselves to drowning their sorrows.
Tommy lifted the pitcher, filled his glass and slurred; “Have you always been a lesbian, Marie?”
“Have you always been an asshole?” responded Marie.
They both laughed.
“Ever been tempted?” asked Tommy.
The Patron Silver had now hit the part of the brain that controlled good judgment.
“Never!” said Marie, “but if I ever did, you would be close to the top of the list for my ‘dark side’ experiment.”
Marie laughed and drained her glass in one, long pull. “Time for us to go home, separately.”
“I agree!” said Tommy and asked Dan Brody to call two cabs.
Fifteen minutes passed before the first cab arrived. Marie opened the door but before she got in, she gave Tommy a kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks, buddy. You were a lifesaver tonight.” She got in the cab and left.
When Tommy finally arrived home, he laid on the bed fully clothed and sleep came fast. He dreamt he was a quarterback dressed in the silver and black being interviewed after winning the Super Bowl. When Erin Andrews asked him what his plans were after his historic win he replied, “I’m going to Disneyland.”
In the dream, Tommy was at Disneyland spinning on the teacup ride with the Oakland Raiders cheerleaders. As they spun, he suddenly felt sick and the next thing he knew, he was hugging the toilet bowl, praying to the porcelain god, the euphoria of the Raiders Super Bowl win and his celebration with the cheerleaders at Disneyland a fading memory.
Chapter 21 - Let the lying begin
2014 - The Cold Case Investigation
“Good morning, Mr. McCord!” said Jack Johnson as Celia showed Jim McCord into the interview room where he and Bill Ross were waiting.
“As I said Jack, please call me Jim,” said McCord, casually taking a seat and not immediately realizing that this was a formal interview room.
“I think we will keep it to Detective Johnson today, Mr. McCord,” said Jack. “This is Special Reserve Officer Bill Ross who is helping me on the case.”
Jim McCord’s eye grew wide as he realized this was not the type of meeting he was expecting.
“What the fuck is this all about?” exclaimed Jim McCord, now scared and on the defensive.
Jack leveled his eyes at Jim and said, “I have reason to believe that back in 2005 you were not quite truthful with Detective Hardwick,”
“What do you mean ‘not quite truthful’? I told him everything he wanted to know! Everything he asked me!” McCord could feel his chest tighten and his pulse race as he spoke.
“I understand that you were at a conference all that week in San Antonio. Did you leave at any time and drive up to Austin?” asked Jack.
“No, I did not!” said McCord indignantly. His stomach was now convulsing.
“Are you sure, Mr. McCord? A resident in the neighborhood claims to have seen you the night before the body was discovered. The night of Wednesday, September 14th”
“The resident is mistaken,” responded McCord as he shifted awkwardly in his seat. Bill and Jack could tell he was trying to put up a good front and continued.
“The resident said they saw a dark colored Ford Explorer with Alabama plates driven by you just as it was turning dark that night.”
“Bullshit!” said McCord. “This is a fabrication and I will be speaking to Chief Dunwoody about this!” Jack and Bill knew Jim was caught in trap, but like a fox caught in a snare, he still believed that escape was possible.
“There must be two Jim McCords then. Two Jim McCords who both live in Austin and were in San Antonio that day!” said Jack.
Bill Ross chimed in for the first time. “We’ve checked and there is only one you, Mr. McCord!”
“Who is this Limey? Why is he here?” exclaimed McCord, his face getting redder as the noose tightened.
“He’s here because I want him to be here and he is a Special Reserve Officer, Mr. McCord. Please afford him the courtesy that his position entitles him to. Less of the Limey language!”
McCord did not see the look in Bill Ross’s eyes. The worst thing you can do is to call a Scotsman a Limey. Bill Ross was readying his claymore sword to cut this prick in half if he called him a Limey again.
Jack Johnson laid it all out for a now defeated Jim McCord.
“I have a copy of a rental car agreement here that clearly shows you rented a Ford Explorer on Wednesday, September 14, 2005 and returned it to the San Antonio airport the following day. I believe that in the late afternoon, you met and killed the deceased and transported her to your home in Austin. I believe that you did this thinking that law enforcement would not believe that the killer would be dumb enough to dump a body in their own backyard as part of an elaborate plan. You thought planting the body in plain sight would be a smart move? Well, you were wrong, Mr. McCord. In a moment, Chief Dunwoody will enter the room at which time we will charge you with capital murder. We will be seeking the death penalty!”
Jim’s breath hitched as tears began to stream down his cheeks, now in full panic mode. “No, no, none of this is true. I didn’t murder anyone! OK, I was in the neighborhood that night. I was having an affair with Dawn Cohen! I rented that car and drove to Austin, but I didn’t kill anyone. You have to believe me!”
Jack leaned in tight and said, “So why did you lie to us?”
“I didn’t want Mary to find out!”
The elaborate plan to make Jim McCord believe that he would be charged with the murder had worked. They had smoked out the truth.
“OK, Mr. McCord, I
believe you,” said Jack. “I now want your full cooperation in our investigation. No more lies. Do we have your agreement on this?”
“Yes of course,” said McCord, visibly shaking with fear. “Does Mary need to know about this?” He felt broken and battered.
“Can’t promise that she won’t find out, Mr. McCord, but Bill and I don’t plan to get in our cars, drive down there and tell her tonight. I would strongly suggest that you come clean with your wife as you have done with us today. Honesty is always the best policy, Mr. McCord.”
The meeting ended, and Jim McCord left.
When Jim reached his car and got in he grabbed the steering wheel and squeezed it so hard that his fingers turned white. His heart was pounding, on the verge of a panic attack. He tried to slow his breathing and calm down. It took him several minutes before the episode subsided. He gunned the engine and accelerated out of the parking lot, the rear tires kicking up gravel as the car sped away.
Jack and Bill shook hands. Jack thanked Bill, as it was he who had devised the plan to smoke out McCord including the “hiding-in-full-sight” reasoning that had been the final coup de grace.
The plan for Jim McCord was a success but they were no closer to finding the killer. The woman was dead and someone killed her; those two facts were as absolute today as they were back in 2005. Problem was, they were the only real facts that could be proven. They needed a breakthrough and soon or this would be thrown back into the cold case files. The team’s reputation was now a stake as was the reputation of Bill Ross.
~
On his way home, Jim McCord stopped at Duffers Bar adjacent the Rolling Oaks golf course. His shirt was soaked with sweat and it wasn’t just from the 90-degree summer heat. He had four large Jack Daniels in the space of a few minutes, trying to calm the shaking in his hands and the feeling of panic growing in his chest.
“Are you OK, buddy?” said the bartender.
McCord nodded still staring straight ahead. Outlined on the wall at the back of the bar, he thought he could see the police artist’s impression of her face. He could still feel her fingernails digging into his back as he thrust his rock-hard penis inside her.
“Oh, Jim, I never thought it could be like this,” she had whispered in his ear.
Jim McCord knew who the dead woman was and if anyone found out the truth, his life, as he knew it, would be over.
This was another one of the piles of shit that Jim McCord did not want the police digging around in. But now they had him by the balls. He would need to start damage control with Mary. The police had agreed to not tell her about his affair with Dawn. If she learned about that, she’d start to unravel and everything might begin to fall apart. The most important thing right now was to cooperate with the police. So he fucked her and she ended up in his backyard. He didn’t put her there. Some other crazy motherfucker did and he had to help the police find out who that was. Everything depended on that.
Chapter 22 - Glen Morangie
2014 - The Cold Case Investigation
“I would like to invite Tommy and Marie Mason over for dinner next Saturday, Elaine,” announced Bill Ross after the dishes were cleared away from their Monday evening supper.
“What is the occasion, Willie?”
“I was talking with Jack Johnson on Friday and he’s headed down to his ranch in Giddings next weekend. Every couple of weeks or so he goes down there to check that his cattle are doing OK and to ensure that the water holes are holding up in the heat. He also found out from a neighbor that a few of his fences broke and his cattle are wandering out of the property. So, I just thought I could take the opportunity to provide some leadership when Jack is gone,” responded Bill.
“Have you told Jack that you plan to do this?”
“Not yet. I wanted to ask you first and make sure that it was OK.”
It was agreed that Bill had the green light to invite everyone, provided that Bill did not leave all the preparation and cooking to Elaine. When Bill asked Jack for permission, he thought it was a fine idea. Bill made sure that Jack also knew that he was on the guest list for the next time.
When Saturday rolled around, Bill bought a pork shoulder, bone in, at H-E-B. Later that morning, he got the oak lump charcoal up to temperature in the Green Egg and placed pieces of pecan wood in strategic locations on top of the coals. The chunks had been soaked overnight for maximum flavor.
He had prepared the butt with his own special dry rub. When he arrived in Texas from California, he learned that any good Texan had his own special rub for meat and poultry and that there were secret recipes guarded with their lives. Bill’s rub contained garlic powder, cayenne powder, paprika, cumin, and several other secret spices. He smoked the pork butt for two hours at 250 degrees and then took it off the Green Egg and wrapped it in a three-layer blanket. Reynolds wrap was the first layer, the second Saran wrap and then a third and final layer of Reynolds wrap completed the job. This ensured that all the juices and steam were trapped inside. Bill left it on the Green Egg for another four hours at 225/250, removed it and let it rest for another hour. The result was the most tender, flavorful pulled pork they had ever tasted.
They all arrived at Bill’s home together. Tommy had Claire in his arms as he walked up the driveway. Marie and Shelly followed close behind. Tommy had never met Shelly and Marie had made the introductions on the driveway. Shelly was a couple of inches taller than Marie and in contrast to Marie’s dark hair Shelly had long blond hair.
“I like your hair,” said Claire. “And I love yours,” replied Shelly as she admired Claire’s mass of blond curls that made her look like a little Shirley Temple.
Tommy opened the door of his parent’s home and the wonderful aroma of pecan smoke and BBQ engulfed them.
“Mom, I would like you to meet Marie and her partner Shelly,” said Tommy as Elaine emerged from the kitchen.
“Very good to meet you, Marie. I’ve heard so much about you. Good to meet you also, Shelly.”
Marie shook Elaine’s hand and said, “Good to meet you, Mrs. Ross and thank you for inviting us to your beautiful home. I brought some wine and Shelly brought a salad. Should we put both in the kitchen?”
“That would be great Marie, and you can call me Elaine!”
They all sat around the huge teak table out on the deck. There was unbridled excitement and anticipation of the delicious BBQ that was about to appear. Shelly help Elaine set the table and opened the wine as the sun set over the greenbelt and the birds enjoyed their supper from Bill’s bird feeders.
The pork was fantastic with a choice of South Carolina style on a bun with coleslaw or Southwestern style with tortillas, pico de gallo, cilantro and El Queso Cotija de Montana, a delicious cheese often referred to as the Mexican Parmesan. There were many buns and a lot coleslaw left as no one could resist the tortillas and the Mexican Parmesan.
After dinner, Shelly helped Elaine clean up and then sat with Claire on her lap and watched several episodes of “Peppa Pig.” Claire fell asleep on Shelly’s lap and Elaine put her to bed. Once Claire was put down, Shelly and Elaine sat in the family room together with a bottle of caramel flavored Bailey’s Irish Cream.
The two women had been laughing and joking for an hour before Elaine asked, “So, do you and Marie plan to get married, Shelly?” Typically she wouldn’t have been that forward but the Baileys was having the desired effect.
“Yes we do, Elaine. We met several years ago when Marie transferred down from Smith County. I was a paralegal on a case and she was testifying. Our eyes met and that was it.”
“Tommy told me that Marie was brought up in Tyler. Were you born in Austin, Shelly?” asked Elaine.
“No, I was born in El Paso and just like Marie, I had problems with my parents when they realized that I was gay. I also had to leave home and just like Marie, I found my way to Austin.”
Shelly took another sip and said, “Marie had it a lot tougher than I did. Her father was a mean drunk and a gambler. He lost everything pla
ying poker and took it out on his wife and daughter. She has three brothers but they left when their father became bankrupt. They still live in Tyler and are pillars of the Southern Baptist community there.”
Elaine grabbed the bottle of Baileys and refilled Shelly’s glass. “Wow. That must have been rough on her.”
“It was. When her father found out that she was gay, the beatings got worse. After he passed away in 2000, she and her mother thought that their lives would take a turn for the better. That’s when her mother found out that she had breast cancer. She died a couple of years later and that’s when Marie transferred to Austin.”
“What a terrible story, Shelly. It is clear to me, at any rate, that you are both very much in love. I hope you will be able to marry but as you know that might take till hell freezes over given where Texas is politically,” said Elaine and she gave Shelly a huge hug.
Meanwhile, Bill Ross held court out on the deck. He sipped on Glen Morangie while Marie and Tommy enjoyed the contents of a bottle of Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal from the village of ChiChicapa high in the mountains of the Oaxaca region of Mexico. Bill had bought a bottle after watching an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown on CNN.
“Why did you decide to bring your family to the U.S. and leave the London Met job?” asked Marie.
“There were a number of factors,” replied Bill, “but it was a really good financial package with the California software company as well as a great opportunity for an adventure with the family. I had to admit to myself that if I progressed further in the Met, it would have meant taking a position with more administrative tasks and more politics. This was not something that appealed to me.”
“I’m sure you have tons of stories about your experiences in London,” continued Marie. “Is that where you got the scar across the bridge of your nose? It looks like it has been broken a couple of times.”
Bill touched the scar and said, “No, I didn’t get that from my time in London. It was much earlier. I was a young cop in the Govan area of Glasgow when I was first introduced to the Glasgow Kiss.”