The Chemtrail Conspiracy Set (Lady Justice Book 22)

by Robert Thornhill

  He left the room and returned pushing a big cake on a dolly.

  When the cake was in front of the seated Kevin, Dad said, “Okay, old friend. Are you ready to lick a little icing, if you know what I mean?”

  Kevin is not a man who flusters easily, but I could see he was very uncomfortable.

  “Look, John, I really appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I just don’t feel right about it.”

  Dad was shocked. “I don’t understand. Why not?”

  He actually blushed. “Veronica trusts me and I just don’t want to let her down. Not like this.”

  “Dad,” I whispered, “Maggie specifically said ‘no strippers.’”

  “You guys need to loosen up,” he replied. “Live a little.”

  With that, he tapped on the cake. “Okay Honey. Let’s see what you got!”

  The cake popped open and out stepped Kevin’s beautiful bride-to-be. She was dressed, barely, in an itsy-bitsy-teeny-weenie yellow polka dot bikini. Needless to say, she filled it very well.

  Kevin’s mouth dropped open. “Veronica!”

  Dad was beaming like he’d just won an Oscar. “You can’t have a bachelor party without having a pretty girl pop out of a cake, and since Veronica used to do this for a living, well, I figured I ought to hire the best.”

  Veronica straddled Kevin’s lap, and after burying his nose in her ample cleavage, I heard her whisper, “Thank you, Babe. You said just the right thing and I’m so proud of you, and tomorrow night I’ll show you just how proud I really am.”

  Kevin definitely had something to look forward to.

  Then it hit me. “Wait a minute. What about the bridal shower? Where’s my wife?”

  At that moment, Maggie, Judy and Mary burst into the room. “Surprise!”

  I looked at Dad and he shrugged. “I figured since we couldn’t have a real bachelor party, we might as well all be together.”

  Maggie pulled out another chair. “Sit down, John. As a reward for all your hard work, we have a surprise for you.”

  She and Judy left the hall, and a moment later returned pushing another cake.

  “We knew how much you wanted a stripper, so here you go.”

  Maggie tapped the cake and a muffled voice came from inside. “Get me the hell out of here!”

  Judy and Maggie popped open the cake and out stepped Bernice in a matching yellow bikini. Needless to say, her ninety-year-old body didn’t quite fill it like Veronica’s did.

  “Jeeze Louise!” Dad muttered, as he took in the wrinkled apparition gyrating in front of him.

  He recovered quickly. “Well, at least they got your bra size right --- 32 long.”

  Bernice punched him in the arm.

  After everyone finished snapping photos of our two bikini models together, and on various laps, Dad proclaimed, “Okay, time to eat. How about you two bimbos getting dressed so we can chow down?”

  The meal was delicious. We ate until we were stuffed. In addition to no strippers, the girls had insisted on no booze, but, as usual, Dad snuck in a few trays of his notorious Jello shots.

  After the meal, Dad stood and clinked his glass. “Attention everyone. I know tomorrow’s a big day, but before we call it a night, our friend Jerry has a few words for the bride and groom.”

  Everyone rolled their eyes. Our resident stand-up comic could be quite annoying, and what was coming was anybody’s guess. He was also our resident poet-laureate, which sometimes was pretty good. I hoped it would be the latter.

  He solemnly stood and faced his audience.

  “Throughout history, great romances have captured the hearts and imaginations of millions. From Anthony and Cleopatra to Rhett Butler and Scarlet O’Hara. Across the ages, love has blossomed across stormy seas, between warring tribes and social classes, but few have bridged the formidable gap separating a woman in full bloom from an old geezer in his dotage. Yet, such is the love story we are celebrating tonight, which will certainly join George Burns and Gracie Allen as one of the most storied romances in history.

  “I have written a little ditty for the occasion which I call Ode to the Beauty and the Beast.

  The story started years ago

  When he was just a lad.

  He got in a car with some mafia thugs

  And they were really bad.

  They killed a guy and tried to run

  The law caught them anyway.

  Kevin talked and they sent him west

  And told him he’d have to stay.

  For fifty years, he lived this way

  With no family, kids or wife.

  Then one day, he got some news

  That would really change his life.

  If you don’t get a kidney

  A kindly doctor said.

  It will only be a few months more

  Before you wind up dead.

  He searched and searched without success

  But no kidney could be found.

  So he faced the fact that very soon

  He’d be planted in the ground.

  But before he passed beyond the vail

  He had one final wish.

  To spend at least one steamy night

  With some pretty little dish.

  His friends came through and found her

  Veronica was her name.

  And to fill a dying man’s last wish

  She was the perfect dame.

  Then out of the blue, a kidney came

  To save the old dude’s skin.

  So Kevin devised a brand new plan

  Veronica’s heart to win.

  Some said it would never happen

  Cause he was just too old.

  But Kevin never faltered

  The nookie made him bold.

  He professed his love and wooed her

  And won the lady’s heart.

  Not at all an easy task

  For such an aged fart.

  The moral of this story

  If you’re inclined to look for one.

  Is that without a doubt

  He’s a lucky son-of-a-gun!

  He took a bow as everyone rose from their seats, applauding in appreciation.

  This certainly hadn’t been a typical bachelor party, but it ended well.

  Given the quirkiness of our little group, it could have been a lot worse.

  CHAPTER 16

  Weddings and funerals are good for one thing --- bringing people together.

  They are among the few times that people with diverse views and backgrounds and differing opinions can set aside the things that separate them and join together to share in a moment of joy or sorrow.

  This was definitely such a day.

  The colorful backgrounds of both the bride and groom were reflected in the guests who filled the pews.

  In addition to the close friends and family who had attended the bachelor party the night before, there gathered a group of people as different as night and day.

  Veronica was a foster home runaway who turned to prostitution to survive. One pew was filled with her friends from those days, attractive young women still actively involved in the world’s oldest profession.

  Across the aisle were cops in uniform, friends of Ox and Judy, and Kevin McBride, private investigator.

  Just behind them were Willie and his main squeeze, Emma. Seated with them was Louie the Lip, a pal of Willie’s from his days on the street as a con man. Louie still plied the trade but had become a valuable source of information and an informal confidential informant.

  The Professor, with Doctorates in Psychology, Philosophy and Sociology, sat next to Jerry, a stand-up comic. Next to them were my Dad and his ninety-year-old bimbo, Bernice, probably both packing heat.

  On a different day, the men in blue might be hauling Louie or one of the ladies of the night off to the pokey, but not today. Today was all about Kevin and Veronica.

  The bride and groom had insisted on a very plain and simple no-frills ceremony, with one exception. Mary Murphy said
there just couldn’t be a wedding without a flower girl, and since she had experience, having filled that role at Ox and Judy’s wedding, she was the logical choice. Not wanting to disappoint the old girl, Kevin and Veronica acquiesced. The only dissenter was Willie who made it quite clear that the crazy old bat could throw dead flowers all over the church if she wanted to, but he wasn’t cleaning it up.

  Finally, the magic moment arrived.

  In place of the traditional wedding march, they selected We’ve Only Just Begun by The Carpenters.

  As Karen Carpenter’s sultry voice filled the sanctuary, Mary dutifully scattered her rose petals down the aisle.

  Maggie and I were next, and as I heard the words of the song, I thought how perfect it was for the two of them.

  Sharing horizons that are new to us

  Watching the signs along the way

  Talkin’ it over just the two of us

  Workin’ together day to day

  Together

  Since Veronica had no father figure to give her away, the two of them decided to come down the aisle together, arm in arm.

  The bride and groom appeared and the congregation rose as they came down the aisle and took their places in front of Pastor Bob.

  When everyone was seated, he began.

  “My responsibility today is to unite two people in holy matrimony, and in accordance with their wishes, there will be no ‘dearly beloveds’ or long scripture readings. We will get right to the task at hand.

  “I asked the two of them to write their wedding vows and share them with me. To my surprise, they were almost identical, so today I am going to break from tradition and read their vows for them. Since most of you know the bride and groom, it is no big secret that their past lives have been, shall we delicately say, rocky. The vows they have written reflect the sentiment of the beautiful song we just heard, we’ve only just begun.”

  He read from a slip of paper. “The past is gone forever and means nothing to me. What matters, is the here and now and our future lives together. I will cherish whatever time is given to us, and I promise to love you and care for you until death do us part.”

  He looked at them “Do you so affirm?”

  They both nodded. “We do.”

  Then he turned to Maggie and me. “Do you have the rings?”

  “We do.”

  “The ring is a symbol of your commitment to each other,” he continued, “and I think in your particular case the symbolism is quite fitting. The diamond was formed deep in the earth under tremendous pressure before it was brought to the surface and sculpted into the beautiful stone it is today. Likewise the gold was buried for centuries before being mined, melted, forged and polished. The two of you have felt life’s relentless pressure and have passed through the fires of the worldly forge, and here you are today, two new souls coming together as one.

  “Kevin, you may place the ring on the third finger of Veronica’s left hand and repeat after me. Veronica, with this ring I thee wed and pledge my life to you.”

  When Kevin finished, Veronica placed her ring on his finger.

  “With this ring I thee wed and pledge my life to you.”

  Pastor Bob smiled and raised his hand. “Then by the authority vested in me by the State of Missouri and God’s holy church, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  After a big smooch, he announced, “I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Kevin McBride.”

  Everyone cheered as the newlyweds made their way to the foyer to greet their friends.

  It was a beautiful wedding and a day to be cherished, but there was a dark cloud looming on my horizon.

  Tomorrow the trial would continue and I would be on the stand as a witness for the defense.

  CHAPTER 17

  Suzanne Romero’s defense strategy was simple. There would only be three witnesses. Calinda would be first, to reinforce the notion that her father would never kill the man she loved. I would be second to introduce the alternate theory that Jack was murdered by government assassins, and Maria Lopez would put the icing on the cake with her narrative of Jack being abducted, reinforced by the webcam video of the SUV leaving the motel.

  We would have to sell the conspiracy theory well enough to create reasonable doubt in the minds of the jurors.

  Before the trial began, I was sitting with Calinda and I noticed a few new faces in the crowd. One of them was the spitting image of Carmine, just a few years younger and not quite as paunchy. I pointed him out to Calinda.

  “That man in the third row. Do you know him?”

  “Of course. That’s Uncle Frank, Daddy’s little brother. He takes care of the family business when Daddy’s not available. He’s been pretty busy since Daddy’s been in jail.”

  I had heard of Frankie Marchetti, but this was the first time I’d laid eyes on him.

  A few rows back were two other faces in the crowd I hadn’t seen before. Two white guys, mid-thirties, fit and well-dressed. I had heard that description before, and suddenly I realized that was exactly how Maria Lopez described the men who had taken Jack.

  After I thought about it for a moment, it wasn’t much of a stretch to believe the government would have people in the courtroom today. They must know we will be suggesting that Jack was killed by government assassins and they would want to know exactly what proof we had.

  The fact that I was the one who would be spilling the government’s beans gave me an uneasy feeling.

  I took another quick look around the courtroom and realized something was very wrong. Maria Lopez was nowhere to be seen.

  Suzanne and Carmine had just taken their seats at the defense table. I slipped to the rail and whispered, “Suzanne, Maria’s not in the gallery. Do you know something that I don’t?”

  I saw the concerned look register on her face. “I called her last night and she promised to be here. I even offered to pick her up again, but she said she’d be fine.”

  “Maybe she’s just running late.”

  “Maybe, maybe not,” she replied. “Without her testimony we don’t have a chance. Call Ox and have him track her down.”

  I clicked on my cell and gave Ox the message. He said he’d do his best.

  The bailiff’s voice jarred me out of my funk.

  “All rise for the Honorable Judge Milton Weathers.”

  When we were seated, the judge turned to Suzanne. “Ms. Romero, are you ready to proceed with your defense?”

  “Yes, Your Honor. The defense calls Calinda Marchetti to the stand.”

  After she was seated on the stand, the judge reminded her she was still under oath.

  “Calinda,” Suzanne began, “I believe we’ve already established from your previous testimony that you were romantically involved with Jack Carson. You knew from the moment you met Mr. Carson that he was investigating your father. The prosecution has arrested him for Jack’s murder and their entire case rests on proving that Carmine was so incensed with Jack’s investigation and your affair that he had him killed. I’d like to explore that with you this morning. You testified earlier that when your father found out you were seeing Jack, he was upset. Is that true?”

  “Of course he was upset. Jack was trying to prove Daddy was doing something illegal. He asked me not to see him, but when I told him how much I cared for Jack, he backed off. I remember him saying I was headstrong just like my mother, and if he forbade me to see him, I’d just do it behind his back.”

  “Didn’t that make things pretty intense around your house?”

  “It probably would have, but then something happened and Jack decided to drop his investigation.”

  I cringed when I heard her say that. Undoubtedly the thing that had put the skids on Jack’s story was the disappearance of his inside source. Fortunately, Carmine wasn’t on trial for that murder, just Jacks.

  “So, did Jack continue to look into your father’s affairs?”

  “No, he told me that what we had together was more important than any story. In fact, a
fter he dropped his investigation, I asked him to meet Daddy. They got along just fine. I remember Daddy patting him on the cheek and saying, ‘It’s a good thing my daughter loves you, Sonny.’”

  I saw Carmine bury his face in his hands. Calinda probably didn’t realize the message Carmine sent was that without Calinda, Jack would have been toast.

  Suzanne hurriedly changed the subject. “Were you aware of any other stories Jack was pursuing?”

  “Yes and no. He told me he was investigating something that involved the government. He said it was dangerous and that for my own safety he couldn’t tell me anything about it.”

  “Once he started that investigation, did anything change in your relationship?”

  “It did. He was gone a lot. He took several trips out of town. He had always been real calm and laid back, but after he started this investigation, he was real nervous and edgy. It just wasn’t like him.”

  “Do you remember the last time you spoke with him?”

  “I do. We were supposed to get together, but he called and cancelled. He said a woman from some chemical company came to town and he had to meet with her. He said it was really important for the story he was working on. That was the last time I heard his voice.”

  A tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away.

  “I’m so sorry for your loss,” Suzanne said, sympathetically. “Please, one more time for the jury. The man you loved was murdered and you are confident that your father was not involved in his death.”

  “Absolutely positive.”

  “No further questions.”

  The judge turned to Grant Marshall. “Cross?”

  “Yes, Your Honor. Ms. Marchetti, I too am sorry for your loss, but I’d like to clarify a few points. You said Mr. Carson was working on another story, but you have no idea what it was and no knowledge of any information or evidence he might have collected. Is that correct?”