ONE TOO MANY - ANGIE BARTONI CASE FILE #9

by Marshall Huffman

  “Angie. Listen to yourself. You are so obsessed with getting the man that you would set up a false search. You don’t want to go down that road.”

  “Ah hell Dan. I liked you better when you didn’t know me so well. You’re right. It isn’t the right thing to do. It just kills me to know who the murderer is and not be able to do a blasted thing about it.”

  “Look, that’s an important piece of the puzzle, knowing he had access to the drug. You are making progress little by little. That’s what you have always told me. Go slowly and do it one step at a time.”

  **

  It was late and we were bone tired. Dan and I were setting in a fast food place eating after talking to half a dozen ditzy friends of Alyssa’s. Half of them were texting while we were asking them questions. It was like Alyssa never existed from the way they talked. Man they have a short attention span.

  “What airheads,” Dan said.

  “Were we ever that brainless?” I asked.

  “Probably but just in a different way. We didn’t have all the gadgets to distract us. Their attention span is almost nonexistent.”

  “No argument with me there,” I said.

  While we were talking, two guys in hoodie sweatshirts came and were looking around. It was far too warm for sweatshirts.

  “Dan don’t look around, but two guys just came in. They are casing the place. Ease your gun out and chamber a round. Do it slowly and carefully. I could be wrong but I really don’t think so.”

  “Already chambered. I’m ready he said.

  I had done the same and we just sat there eating and making small talk. The two men went back out the door.

  “They left but I think they will be right back. Just follow my lead,” I told him.

  Just as I had finished saying that the two men rushed in brandishing handguns. One started shouting at the girl behind the counter. The other guy was wildly swinging his gun all over the place trying to watch everyone at once.

  “Now?” Dan asked.

  “Not yet. I don’t want to get anyone hurt.”

  “Shut up you two,” the wild gunman said starting over toward us.

  I didn’t say a word.

  “I’ll blow your frickin’ head off you cracker.”

  Oooh. Dan did not like to be called a cracker. He didn’t call blacks any racial names and he didn’t stand for that behavior from them. I noticed his neck getting red.

  “Gimmy yo’ purse bit**” he said.

  Oops. That is Angie’s trigger word. He had just crossed the line with both of us.

  I looked up at him and said, “I am getting ready to blow your nuts off you dumb bastard. If you don’t believe it look down.”

  He looked down and saw the Sig aimed right at his crotch. Damn. He turned almost ten shades lighter right then and there.

  “Police, freeze,” Dan yelled jumping up and smacking the guy in the face so hard his head snapped back. He had his gun already aimed at the other man. He turned with his pistol and I appeared on the other side of Dan pointing my Sig at him.

  “You might get one of us but I can guarantee you will go out of here in a body bag. I’m not counting or any of that crap. Drop it right now or you die in this crummy fast food place,” I told him.

  He looked at me and then at Dan and dropped the gun. Dan went over and grabbed and cuffed him. I picked up the gun with my pen and laid it on the table behind me. I heard a car start up and go screeching out of the parking lot. It was obviously the getaway driver. It didn’t matter much. We had the two gunmen and they would eventually talk.

  We called it in, placed the two on the floor in cuffs and finished our meal.

  “Nice job partner,” I told Dan.

  “Good eye. How did you know they would come back in?”

  “I figured they went out to tell the getaway driver it was going to go down and to be ready.”

  “Damn, I like being your partner,” Dan said bumping his foam cup against mine.

  ELEVEN

  It seemed to take forever for everything to get wrapped up at the fast food place. Then we had to deal with the press sticking microphones in our faces. I didn’t do any of the talking, I wanted to give Dan the spotlight. In my mind he was the one who deserved all the credit.

  It was getting pretty late by the time we got done with booking and finished our paperwork.

  “Dan, you really did a super job in the restaurant. I want you to know I’m going to ask the captain to put you in for a commendation.”

  “What? I just followed your lead. You had the guy covered, I just made sure he didn’t cause any more trouble,” Dan insisted.

  “Dan. I appreciate that but you acted exactly the way you should have. You stopped the bad guy and put your life at risk to protect the kids that worked there. He was agitated and you got it all under control and no one was hurt.”

  “Angie.”

  “Dan, this is how you get your career going. Just accept the commendation. I have always felt the same way every time I got one. I always felt like it was overrated.”

  “Geez Angie.”

  “Look you did a great job. Just accept it.”

  **

  “Bartoni I read the reports. You both deserve a commendation. These are the same guys that have robbed six other places. They shot one owner and pistol whipped a cashier because she was too slow. These were bad dudes and you two put them away.”

  “Captain, Dan took the greatest risk. He jumped up out of his seat with the gunman less than three feet away and hit him so hard he flew into the wall and was out of action. That allowed me to get out of my seat to back him up. Please captain. Dan deserves this award. What am I going to do with another one? I want him to have the credit. I don’t need it. Besides if you don’t, I’ll just make your life more miserable,” I said, but I was smiling.

  He shook his head.

  “I don’t think I could take it being any more miserable than you already make it. Okay, you win. I’ll see that Dan gets the commendation.”

  “Thanks captain. You get major points for this. I’ll even keep my smart remarks to myself for at least a week.”

  “Oh sure, like that’s going to happen. Out,” he said in his usual gruff voice, pointing to the door.

  **

  After the ceremony was over and all the glad handing was done I thanked the captain again.

  “It wasn’t easy. The Mayor insisted that you both get awards. Even the Commissioner felt it should be that way but I held firm. I told them that if you got one too, that you wanted to make a speech. You should have seen the Commissioner’s face. The Mayor almost turned white and passed out. After that it was easy,” McGregor told me.

  “You’re lying. That isn’t why. Is it?”

  “What do you think,” he said walking off.

  He was enjoying this far too much.

  **

  “Where are we going?” Dan asked as I weaved through traffic.

  “To see Miller.”

  “Oh Angie.”

  “Easy. I just want to let him know something.”

  “About the stuff, whatever it was?”

  “Propofol, and the answer is yes.”

  “He will just give us that same smart attitude.”

  “Hey, that’s fine with me. I just want to keep reminding him that he is in our sights and we aren’t going to go away anytime soon.”

  “He will get a lawyer at some point and yell harassment.”

  “Fine, but up until then I intend to keep the pressure on.”

  I pulled the car into the driveway and we walked up to the door. Dan rang the bell and the door was opened by Kenny’s son, Brandon.

  “Hi Brandon. I need to talk to your father,” I said.

  “He isn’t here.”

  “Oh come on Brandon, don’t be like that. We have some news to share with him. He will love hearing it,” I taunted.

  “I’m telling you he isn’t here.”

  “Well then, would you give him a message for u
s?”

  “Do I look like your messenger?” he said, shoving his chin out.

  “Actually you look like a smartass,” Dan said.

  “I don’t have to talk to you guys,” he said and started to close the door.

  “Propofol,” I said.

  He hesitated.

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  “It’s okay, you’re not our messenger,” I replied as we started to walk away.

  “What is it?”

  “Propofol? The drug that was used to render Tom James unconscious. It has to come from a prescription or someone that has access to it. Just tell him we are looking into who could have gotten hold of such a thing,” I told him and we got into the car.

  Dan looked back and saw that Brandon was still standing there as we drove off.

  “I’ll have to say, that certainly got a reaction.”

  “Big time. We need to watch them closely now. If they have any in the house they are going to dump it for sure,” I said.

  “That isn’t going to be very easy you know that. Either of them could dump it.”

  “I think they will either be lazy and just put it in the trash or Brandon will take it and dump it someplace, probably when he goes to work.”

  “We need to find out when the next trash pickup is,” Dan said.

  “Already done. It’s scheduled for the day after tomorrow. I’ll bet Brandon is already cleaning it out right now and will take it someplace just as soon as he can.”

  “So we are going to watch and see what happens?”

  “You got it Commendation Boy.”

  “Don’t you start in on me Detective Bartoni.”

  “Oooh. Detective Bartoni.”

  “Darn right.”

  “Since we are on such a formal basis, I guess you don’t want one of my Snickers bars,” I said taking one out of my purse.

  “You really are mean, Angie.”

  “I see, now it’s Angie since I have several Snickers tucked away.”

  “Did I say Angie. I meant Angie dear,” Dan said with his hurt dog look.’

  “You really are pathetic,” I said handing over two Snickers.

  One is just not enough for a man Dan’s size.

  TWELVE

  It was almost ten o’clock and we had been watching the Miller house for the last three hours. Both cars were still parked in the driveway and I was squirming. Not so much because my butt was tired but that I needed to pee.

  “You have a problem Bartoni?” Dan said, with his head leaning back on the headrest.

  “I need to go to the bathroom.”

  “What did you tell me about that?” he asked.

  Oh crap. A couple of years ago I had given him a big lecture about controlling his intake of fluids so he wouldn’t have to go during a stakeout. Now it was coming home to bite me.

  “I can’t eat a Snickers without something to wash it down with,” was my weak excuse.

  “Then don’t eat the Snickers. You should have just given it to me.”

  “You had three,” I exclaimed.

  “So?”

  “Never mind. Look, I’m sorry but I have to go,” I said.

  I couldn’t believe it. He handed over an old foam cup he picked up off the floor.

  “You know,” I said, “I have shot people for less.”

  “You’ll have to shoot me later. Here comes Brandon.”

  Sure enough Brandon came out of the house with a trash bag in his hand and opened the trunk of his car. We watched as he backed out of the drive and I waited until he was almost at the end of the block before I started the car and turned on the headlights.

  Just as I was about to start out I saw Kenny come out of the house with another trash bag. It was smaller than the one Brandon had. He put it in the back seat, started his car and backed out.

  “Now what?” Dan asked.

  “Miller is one smart cookie. I think he knew we would be watching so he sent Brandon with some trash to get him to lure us away.”

  “What if he is the lure?” Dan asked.

  “Then we have blown another opportunity.”

  “What do you mean we?” he said.

  I need to smack that boy around. I decided to stick with Kenny. In my mind he wouldn’t want his son to take the risk by having the drugs on him. It made sense that Kenny would dump them but then he was one slick dude.

  We followed him loosely for several miles before he turned into a Burger King lot. He got out and walked toward the door with the bag in his hand. When he got to the trash container just outside the entrance, he stuffed the bag into the container. Dan and I were out of the car and on him before he could even get inside.

  “Well, look who we have here,” I said grabbing his arm.

  “Looks like our friend Kenny is hungry.”

  “No law against that is there?”

  “I don’t think so but what was in the trash bag?” Dan said holding it up.

  “Just getting rid of some stuff out of my car. That’s not against the law either is it?”

  “Dan. Why don’t you take a peek before we answer that.”

  Dan opened the bag and low and behold there it was, seven vials of Propofol and ten hypodermic needles in nice neat plastic containers.

  “Kenny Miller, you are under arrest for the possession of illegal drugs. You are hereby advised that you have the right to remain silent. You...”

  “Knock it off Bartoni. Everyone knows that stuff by now except the idiots that make you repeat it every time you arrest someone.”

  “Have the right to an attorney. If you can’t afford one the court will appoint one for you. Do you understand your rights?”

  “Do I look like I’m totally stupid?”

  “Do you Mr. Miller?”

  “Hell yes.”

  We escorted Miller to our car and called in the CSI team. Within half an hour the lot was swarming with cop cars. The obligatory yellow and black tape went up around his car and the trashcan. The manager of the Burger King was as happy as a lark. He had never done so much business at that time of night. Whoppers were flying out the door to the cops and gawkers.

  Two hours later we got him back to the station and sat him down in the interview room. I could hardly believe my eyes. Captain McGregor came walking out of his office.

  “Didn’t expect to see you here at this hour,” I said.

  “You really have him with solid evidence this time?” he asked.

  “We watched him carry the bag out of the house and we watched him stuff it into the trash can. His prints were all over the vials and packaging. They will be identified on the bag as well once the lab runs their tests.”

  “I’ll be damned. Nice work Bartoni and Roberts. So, book him Dan-o,” he said and started laughing like an idiot.

  “Man I crack myself up sometimes,” he said going back to his office.

  Dan and I just looked at each other. Must be the late night air or he was losing his mind. Maybe a little of both. We went to the interview room and sat down across from Kenny.

  “Kenny, this is all being recorded and videotaped. Are you aware of that?”

  “If you say so.”

  “I say so. Do you want an attorney present?”

  “Why are you charging me with drug possession?”

  “You had drugs. Do you want an attorney present?” I asked again.

  “No. I don’t need a money sucking shark.”

  “No lawyer?”

  “No lawyer,” he finally said.

  “Okay we can proceed.”

  “So why just the drug charge,” he said.

  “Because that is enough to hold you on for now. We have seventy-two hours to dig through everything you own. We will rip your house, garage, and anything else we can link to you, apart. If you have anything, just one little thing you overlooked, we will find it and then we can go for additional charges.”

  “You won’t find anything,” he said.

  “You didn’t think we
would find the Propofol but we did. Oh, nice try with Brandon. We had someone follow him as well. Guess what we found in his trash bag?”

  “Look, I can explain that. Where is Brandon?”

  “In the room next door. He is in with Dan.”

  “Bartoni, he had nothing to do with any of this.”

  “Not true. He said he did it and you were just covering for him.”

  “That stupid kid is lying. I killed that worthless Tom James. I stuck the needle in him. I didn’t even know what dose to use and I really didn’t care. I took him out in the woods, strung him up and beat the life out of him. I hope the bastard died as slowly as Linda did.”

  “Good story Kenny but Brandon’s is almost exactly the same.”

  “He is just trying to cover for his old man. He knew I was up to something. When you came to the house the other day he told me about you mentioning the Propofol. He’s a smart kid. He had seen it in the refrigerator in the garage. He knew what it was for. He was tossing it in the trash when I got home. I stopped him and told him I would take care of it.”

  “So you gave him the other stuff to get rid of?”

  “Just a few things I found when I made a sweep of the place. I had the handcuffs I used on Carl Bell and the propane torch I used. I decided it would be better if we got rid of all of that stuff.”

  “You killed seven people, is that what you are telling me? Remember, this is being videotaped.”

  “You will drop all charges against my boy?”

  “That will be up to the DA but I will certainly put in a good word if you give it all up. All of the details. Everything. Got it?”

  “How do you want me to do it?”

  “Just write it out. Start with Stillwell and go right down the list. I want all of the details. Don’t leave a thing out, understand?”

  “Damn Bartoni, I should have known better than to taunt you like that. As soon as I left the room I knew I had made a huge mistake.”

  “Yes you did. Now get started,” I said, shoving the paper and pen over to him.

  I had another officer come in and watch him as I made a mad dash to the restroom. I had forgotten all about how bad I needed to go in all the excitement.