Payback (Angie Bartoni Case Files Book 13)

by Marshall Huffman

  “She knows,” he said.

  “Now we just have to get her to admit it,” Dan offered.

  “Right you are,” McGregor replied.

  I went into the interview room, walked over and sat down across from her. She fidgeted but didn’t say anything.

  “Linda, I think you know why you are here.”

  “Oh? I thought it was about the schedules.”

  “That’s true in a way. More to the point, we want to know if you have shared the postings with your brother, Jonny Taylor,” I said.

  “Jonny? Why would I do that?”

  “Come on Linda, we know all about the SWAT team members that raided his house by mistake. We know about little Teddy getting burned. We know about Jonny’s wife. We know about the eminent death of your nephew,” I stressed.

  “Yes. You know all of that and yet you don’t know a damn thing,” she said looking more smug than I expected her to look.

  “Linda, we have six officers killed, three seriously wounded, and you think that is alright?” I said.

  “I think they got exactly what they deserved.”

  “It doesn’t work like that. You can’t just go around killing anyone that wrongs you.”

  “I haven’t killed anyone,” she said and leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.

  “Linda, we know you supplied the killer with the schedules of the officers involved.”

  “And you know this how? Are there copies missing? Did someone see me do that? Do you have any proof?”

  “Geez Linda, you don’t have to be a brain surgeon to connect the dots,” I replied.

  “And you can actually connect the dots? Tell me how you can do that. What proof do you have? Right now all you know is that I am the sister of Jonny Taylor. That, to my knowledge, is not a crime nor is it against any policy of the police department. Did that change or are you grasping for straws?” she said confidently.

  “So all those deaths don’t even bother you?”

  “Sure they do. Too bad for them. I went to the funerals like a good employee. So what?”

  “God, you are one cold fish,” I replied.

  “And I am going back to work unless you intend to charge me with a crime. If you do, be prepared to expose the cover-up that took place afterward as well. When this is all over, I will never have to work a day in my life. Keep that in mind. Now if you will excuse me, I’m done talking to you,” she said and got up and went to the door.

  I let her go. What was I going to do? I knew what she had done. She knew that I knew, but so what. Unless we could prove it, she was home free and clear.

  The captain, Dan, and Garrett came in.

  “That didn’t go as planned,” McGregor said.

  “We have nothing.”

  “She isn’t as weak and timid as she appears. She has a soft exterior but a rock for a heart,” Garret observed.

  “You could say that. I could almost see fire coming out of her eyes when she made that last statement,” Dan added.

  “So we go after Jonny?” I asked McGregor.

  “You can take a run at him but keep it on the up and up. No badgering. We have less on him than we have on Sparks,” he told me.

  “So, kid gloves.”

  “Oh yeah, two pair,” he said as he left.

  “Damn. I thought she was going to be easy,” Garrett said.

  “That’s what thinking will get you,” I replied.

  ***

  “Jonny, I think they are going to come and talk to you,” Linda told him.

  “I’ve been expecting it. I’m surprised it wasn’t sooner.”

  “They questioned me about the patrol schedules.”

  “Big deal.”

  “Yeah, I know. I told them as much. Basically I told them they can speculate all they want but to go to hell unless they have proof.”

  “Good for you. They are just fishing.”

  “They can fish all they want; they aren’t going to get anything.”

  “I know sis. You hang in there. I’m ready for them,” Jonny told her.

  “Love you brother.”

  “Love you too sis,” he said and broke the connection.

  Let them come. They could do whatever they wanted but they had nothing. Absolutely nothing.

  ***

  The Taylor house was a ranch style home with a white fence running all the way around it. The lawn was well maintained and a fairly new SUV was parked in the driveway.

  “Pretty nice place,” Dan said as we got out.

  “Nicer than mine,” I replied

  Dan rang the bell and the door opened immediately.

  “Jonny Taylor?”

  “That’s what it says on the door. You can read, right?”

  “Mr. Taylor, I take it your sister has called you.”

  “She did. She said you were harassing her about some ridicules problem you were having.”

  “Not so ridicules. We are investigating the murder of several police officers.”

  “Well that’s a real shame. I’ve been reading about them. Too bad.”

  “Mr. Taylor, we know they were the ones associated with the botched SWAT raid that happened here.”

  “Yeah. How about that?”

  “And you have had nothing to do with any of that?” Dan asked.

  “Me? I don’t even own a gun. I suspect you already know that or you would have brought another bunch of idiots to raid me again. Oh, my manners, please come on in and check if you feel the need.”

  “No, we don’t want to check but it would be better to discuss this inside,” Dan replied.

  “Sure,” he said and opened the door.

  The inside was as nice as the outside. The walls were freshly painted and the carpet looked as if it hadn’t been walked on much.

  “Just a second,” he said and Dan and I both froze as he walked over to a crib and took his son out.

  He brought him over and took the covers off him. It was all I could do not to make a face. His ear was totally missing and one eye had no eyelid. His arms were a mass of scars and his right leg was half the size as the other one. Most of his nose had been burned off.

  “I thought I would introduce you to my son. Ted, this is the police. Detectives, this is my son, Ted. Of course he will only be on this earth a few more weeks before his burned lungs give out. Anything you would like to say to him?” Jonny asked, holding him out to us.

  Dan looked grim and white faced. I tried to stay in control. What had been done to that poor little child was simply horrible.

  “No? Nothing to say? Hey freak? What an ugly child? Quick hide him? Anything?” Jonny asked bitterly.

  “Mr. Taylor, I get it. I understand the pain you are going through…”

  “You understand nothing. You have no idea what it is like watching your child die a little bit, day by day. You understand? What do you understand?” he asked, starting to raise his voice.

  “Please. We are not the ones responsible for what happened,” I tried to explain but he was having none of it.

  “Oh no. According to the official report no one was actually responsible. It was all just a big mistake. Sorry about that. Sorry about your disfigured child. Too bad about your wife killing herself. Gee, here is $225,000 dollars to make it all go away. And since we are so big hearted, we will pay for the medical bills, until he dies, which will be in a few weeks. Pretty cheap for the life of a child, don’t you think? And what happens to the cops responsible? Hell the team leader is…was, still on the job. The woman who threw the grenade that ended any chance my child had of a normal life is still running around. Yeah, that is some justice system you have there detectives.”

  I tried not to stare at the child he was still holding out. Mucus and water was running out of his nose and down his little scared face. It was all I could do to not breakdown and cry.

  “Alright Mr. Taylor, I understand your anger. I would be just as outraged. I am so sorry for all of this,” I said.

  “Why? You al
ready said you didn’t have anything to do with it. Why should you be sorry?” he said as he turned the child and held him to his chest.

  Dan and I opened the door and just walked back to the car without saying a word. For once, Dan didn’t ask to stop to eat.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  When we got back to the station I went straight to my desk and sat looking down with my head on my hands. The captain came out and asked how it had gone.

  “Captain, you can’t imagine. It was terrible.”

  “You mean Taylor?”

  “No. The child.”

  He frowned.

  “He showed us the child. You can’t even begin to imagine how disfigured that poor child is. No ear, no eyelid, and scars over almost his entire body. It was the saddest thing I have ever seen. That child never stood a chance after that raid.”

  “Angie…”

  “No captain. I don’t want to hear how we still have a job to do. You have kids. Imagine them burned to the point that they no longer look like humans. Think about that for a minute. On top of that, they throw a few dollars at them, pay the medical bills and cover the rest up. Captain Jones was still strutting around giving orders and Wilkerson, who threw the grenade into the baby’s room, gets off because she is screwing the captain. Yeah, I’d be majorly pissed too,” I spit out.

  “Easy Angie, I wasn’t involved in any of that.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We are all involved. Why in the hell wasn’t Jones held accountable for what he did. Why was he allowed to keep his job?”

  “Angie, the man is a paraplegic now,” he said.

  “Then he got what he deserved,” I said bitterly.

  The captain just looked at me for a second, turned, and walked back to his office. Yeah, it was a terrible thing to say but what the hell. He should have been relieved of duty immediately, not allowed to continue. I was as mad as a hornet.

  Dan was sitting at his desk looking at me.

  “What?” I said angrily.

  “Hey, nothing.”

  “You think I am overreacting, don’t you?”

  “I think you are mad as hell.”

  “But you still think I am wrong?”

  “Not about Jones and Wilkerson not being dismissed. They should have been but the rest is pretty harsh. They are still police officers.”

  “Yeah Dan, and I am still a member of the human race, not just a cop,” I replied.

  With that he got up and walked to the break room.

  Smart move.

  I don’t know how long I sat there brooding but I realized my stomach was rumbling. I decided to go to lunch by myself. I didn’t want to have to talk to anyone.

  “Going to lunch,” I told the captain and he just waved.

  I went to the Deli and had a great roast beef with Swiss cheese, ketchup, onion, and of course, ground pepper. A big fat dill pickle topped it off. I have to admit after that, I felt somewhat better about the world.

  When I got back, Dan and Garrett were sharing a pepperoni pizza and shooting the bull. I sat down and started in on my overdue paperwork. Neither one said a word to me.

  “Angie, you want the last slice?” Garrett asked.

  “No, go ahead. I ate at the Deli.”

  “Just wanted to check,” he said.

  “It’s okay boys, I got most of it out of my system. You can talk to me and I won’t bite your head off.”

  “Yeah, that’s because you’re full now,” Dan quipped.

  I had to smile. That’s my boy.

  ***

  “Angie, without setting you off, I need to know what you have planned,” McGregor said.

  “We have a shadow tail on Krishner. He has to be the last target. I doubt Jonny is going to quit at this point. He has to finish this,” I said.

  “And?”

  “We need to let Krishner be the bait.”

  “Whoa. Hold on a second. What do you mean by that?” he asked.

  “Look, this shooter is on a paid mission. He will keep trying until we catch him. He has all the advantages. If we don’t draw him out, he is going to get the job done and just disappear and we will have squat.”

  “So you think we should help him by putting Krishner in the crosshairs?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Well, I’m certainly glad to hear that.”

  “We need to set up a fake diversion and have the sites already covered so we can grab the guy before he makes the shot.”

  “I hear what you are saying but I don’t exactly get it.”

  “We let it slip that there is going to be a huge drug bust. Krishner will be the lead detective in charge. It will be his bust. We pick the place so that there are only a couple of logical places the assassin can pick to shoot from. We set up cameras in advance and watch and wait. When we see him set up we can rush in and nab him,” I told him.

  “And what if he picks someplace else? He is a pro and knows a hell of a lot more than we do.”

  “We have the SWAT sharp shooters scout the places and get their input,” I replied.

  “It could work,” Garrett said.

  “Could?’

  “Should. I mean, she is right. He isn’t going to quit so it is better to draw him out.”

  “Maybe we should ask Krishner what he thinks. After all it will be his butt on the line.”

  “It will be dependent on him keeping his mouth shut. If he lets it slip that this is a fake bust it will all be for nothing,” I warned.

  “So you are saying, just don’t tell him.”

  “I’m saying to weight that out very carefully.”

  “This is your plan Bartoni, you decide,” McGregor said.

  “Sorry, it’s above my pay grade. You’re going to have to make the call on this one captain.”

  ***

  “What? You want me to do what?” Krishner exclaimed.

  “Just listen. If we don’t draw him out he will find a way to get you at some point. He hasn’t missed yet,” I said.

  “He missed Keller except for her foot.”

  “She was damn lucky and you know it,” I replied.

  “So you are just going to let him get all set up to kill me and then come rushing in and save the day,” he said.

  “Krishner, it is just a suggestion. You don’t want to do it this way, it’s your call. Frankly, I wasn’t even going to tell you but the captain made that call.”

  “What? You were going to go ahead without my knowing about it?” he said.

  “I was. It made sense from the stand point of security.”

  “Damn you Bartoni. This is my life you are gambling on.”

  “Fine. Do what you want. You just keep on doing what you’re doing and I’ll attend your funeral too.”

  “You have some mouth on you Bartoni,” Krishner replied.

  “That doesn’t change a thing. Either you go along with what we have in mind or keep looking over your shoulder. I personally wouldn’t want to live like that but maybe it’s okay for you. Like I said, it’s your call,” I told him.

  “Some choice.”

  “Yeah, well I saw what the little boy who was burned looked like. He had no choice.”

  “It was a freakin accident. Things happen.”

  “This is one time that it isn’t going to go away. You have a professional killer looking to even the score. You can take your chances or we can try to draw him out and grab him before he takes you out.”

  “You have a real nice way with words, you know?”

  “You can sugarcoat it any way you want but in the end, it all means the same thing. We can do everything possible to control the situation but in the end, some of it will boil down to luck.”

  “How exactly is this all going to work or have you figured that part out yet?”

  “You know Krishner, I don’t have to give a crap about what happens to you. You want to be a smartass, I can walk away. In fact I have a cold bottle of Pinot Grigio waiting for me at home so how about stuffing a sock in it.”<
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  “It’s my life,” he countered.

  “True, or it could be your death.”

  “Jeeze, you really are something else.”

  “Just tell me, what’s it going to be,” I said.

  “Alright. I guess your way is the best. I don’t like it but you are right. It’s better than just waiting and doing nothing,” Krishner replied.

  “Then we need to get started. The first step is to find the right location to set up this mythical drug bust. It has to be a place that looks legit but offers us a way to cover the area. We are going to use the SWAT snipers to help us find that spot. Once that is done, we will quietly let it be known that a big drug deal is going down. You will be appointed to lead the bust. This has to be by the book. You cannot tell a single soul that this is a fake deal. If you do, it could cost you your life.”

  “I get it. Tell no one and act like normal.”

  “That is one of the keys to this whole thing.”

  “Then what?”

  “We will set up cameras so that we can cover the spots where a sniper is most likely to set up. That way we can keep tabs on several places at once. Don’t worry, they will be well concealed,” I told him.

  “And then we go about taking down the bust?”

  “Yeah. It will be our people playing the part of dealers and the buyers.”

  “Then you rush in and get the bastard before he blows me away,” Krishner said.

  “That would be the general plan. I would like to take him alive. We know he had to have help but we don’t have proof. We may be able to get it out of him.”

  “I can’t say that I like any of this but I just don’t see any other options. I don’t want to spend the rest of my career waiting to get my head blown off by some guy over something that happened two years ago,” Krishner said.

  “Then this is our best option,” I told him.

  “Alright. Just let me know when everything is ready. Until then I guess I just have to hope for the best.”

  “Don’t worry. This is our top priority. We will get this set up as quickly as possible,” I replied.

  “Please do.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  We all realized how tense Krishner must feel. Not only was it a big risk but every day we took getting everything set up, he had to keep looking over his shoulder and hoping he didn’t get his head taken off.