Shea opened her eyes fully, and realized that her head hurt less.
“Yeah, it’s kickin’ in already, thanks, Doc.”
The doctor left, and a moment later, Delaney appeared with Jake and a tearful Hector.
Hector cupped her face in one of his massive hands.
“How are you, baby? Oh God, you scared the crap out of me.”
Shea smiled up at him and then kissed him as he leaned over.
“I’ll be fine, Hector, now dry those tears before you make me start crying.”
Delaney took her hand, as Jake smiled down at her.
“You scared the crap out of all of us,” Delaney said.
“What happened to the perp? I killed him, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, and the woman is alive thanks to you, actually, a lot of women will live thanks to you.”
“What’s that mean?”
Jake spoke up.
“You bagged a big one, O’Reilly. That guy was Ruben Carter Keane. He was a serial killer. The FBI says that he’s killed over sixteen women.”
“No shit?”
“No shit.”
Delaney gave her hand a squeeze.
“Listen, Internal Affairs will want to talk to you, but that’s just S.O.P. for them. The shoot was righteous and you’re a hero.”
“I just did the job, Lou, you know?”
“I know, Shea, and I know something else. Your days in a uniform are numbered. I checked, and you passed the Detective’s Test, and now with this feather in your cap, you can choose where you’ll go.”
“Holy shit, hear that Caliber, now we’ll both be detectives.”
“You got what it takes, O’Reilly, hell, you’ll be commissioner someday.”
“Nah, you gotta kiss too much ass to get that gig.”
From the doorway came the sound of a throat being cleared, and when they all looked to see who made the sound, they saw the Police Commissioner with two of his entourage.
O’Reilly moaned.
“Ah crap.”
CHAPTER 7
Gail opened her bedroom door and stared down the hall at her guestroom, where Jim Tate was sleeping.
They had gone for drinks and a meal, and talked past midnight, and when Gail learned that Tate had barely enough money left to rent a cheap motel room, she offered him a place to stay.
Sleep had eluded her for over an hour while she lay awake listening for the sound of footfalls, as she half-expected Tate to come knocking on her door. When he didn’t appear, she realized that she felt equal parts of relief and disappointment at his absence.
She was just drifting off to sleep when an idea came to her, and she spent another hour awake as she thought it over from different angles. When she made up her mind to present the proposal to Tate, she immediately fell asleep and didn’t awaken until her alarm clock roused her from a dream.
Gail decided to skip her usual run at the park, but once she was in the kitchen, she began her normal morning routine, but then reminded herself that she had a houseguest and made twice as much coffee as was usual.
Tate appeared before she had time to cook her eggs.
“Good morning,” Gail said.
“Hi, and is that coffee I smell?”
“Sure, help yourself, and would you like bacon, eggs, and toast?”
“Yes, please, and I’ll take the eggs scrambled if it’s not too much trouble.”
“No trouble, that’s how I like them too.”
Tate prepared his coffee, as Gail scrambled the eggs, and soon they were sitting down to eat. After making small talk about the weather. Gail asked Tate a question.
“How are things for you, financially I mean?”
“Well, we both know that I owe you money, and my legal cost ate up everything I have. If I had rented a room last night, it would have taken a chunk out of what’s left.”
“So you need a job, I remember last night that you said you were handy at fixing things, home repairs, that sort of thing?”
“Sure, my old man was a carpenter and my uncles were electricians and plumbers. I would work with all of them during the summers when I was a kid, but I haven’t done that sort of work since I joined the force.”
“You might have noticed that this house is a bit old and in need of repair? I inherited from an aunt and I haven’t fixed it up yet, but I would like to restore it, it’s a fine old house.”
“Are you saying you want to hire me to do it?”
“I could pay for the material and give you room and board while you work. That way I’ll get my house in good repair and you’ll no longer owe me a thing.”
“You want me to stay here?”
“You might as well, you’ve no money to stay anywhere else.”
“That’s true, and it’s a hell of an offer, but tell me the truth, are you making it out of pity?”
“No! I’m making it out of practicality, and I don’t like you feeling as if you owe me something.”
“Why does that bother you so much?”
Gail answered, but broke eye contact as she did so.
“I like you, Jim. If we ever become more than friends, it might not feel right for either of us if there was a sense of indebtedness between us.”
Tate reached over and took her hand, causing Gail to look up.
“I accept the offer, and I’ll get this place looking new in no time flat.”
“There’s no hurry.”
“There is for me, if that’s what it’ll take for me to have a chance with you.”
Gail smiled, and then blushed.
CHAPTER 8
The younger Jake Caliber was stopped at a traffic light while on his way to work, when he spotted a familiar face. He pulled around the corner, double-parked, and then walked back on foot to a motel parking lot, to sidle up to the passenger door of an old van and stare through the open window.
“Who are you peeping on now, Pruitt?”
Trace Pruitt nearly leapt out of his seat and spilled coffee down the front of his shirt.
“Damn you, Caliber, why do you have to be such an asshole?”
“Who are you spying on, a husband or a wife?” Jake said.
Pruitt was a private eye, but his specialty was in gathering evidence of infidelity for divorce cases.
“This time it’s the wife, and man is she a looker. I can’t decide if I want the money the husband’s lawyer will pay me, or if I should offer her the pictures first, for ah, other remuneration, if you know what I mean.”
“I know what you mean, and you’re a dirt bag.”
“Hey, if I was a dirt bag, I’d bang her, give her the pictures, and then still sell copies to her husband’s lawyer, but I don’t do that, you know why, because I got scruples.”
Jake laughed.
“Pruitt, you’re gonna wind up in the can someday, you know?”
“At least I’m my own man, and not a lackey for my grandfather.”
“Now you’ve hurt my feelings, see you around, Pruitt.”
Jake got back to his car and cursed when he found the ticket on the windshield. After parking his car in a garage, he walked to the Caliber building, and saw Rayne sitting in a sports car at the curb. He waved to her.
Rayne waved back at him and he went into the building.
“Looks like somebody has a new boyfriend,” Jake mumbled to himself.
***
Trace Pruitt tapped a fist on his steering wheel as a worried look came over his handsome face.
Of all the mornings for Jake Caliber to come along, almost as if he knew something. Pruitt shook his head as he decided that it was just a coincidence. He didn’t even know the name of his new client, so how could Caliber know?
Pruitt opened a worn-looking laptop bag and took out a file; he then opened it and looked at the photos of Chris and Velma that the mystery client had sent him. He ran a finger over Velma’s face as he whispered to himself.
“You’re a hot one baby, and somebody’s got it in for you.”
***
“Good morning, Maggie; I was hoping we’d see you again.”
“Is he in?”
“Yes he is, and the coffee is brewed.”
“Kelli.”
“Yes?”
“Jake, is he seeing anyone?”
“No, I asked him that once and the answer he gave made my heart break.”
“What did he say?”
“He said that all his old girlfriends were either dead, in a nursing home, or had moved to Florida.”
“He is quite old, isn’t he?”
Kelli made a face, and nearly whispered the answer.
“He’s eighty-seven.”
“He does not look it, or act it.”
“You haven’t changed your mind, have you, about... well, about these visits?”
“I like Jake Caliber, even if he is old enough to be my father.”
Kelli sent her a wide grin.
“Good, because I know he likes you too.”
“Should I let you announce me?”
Kelli rose from her seat.
“Just one more time, and then starting tomorrow, just knock and go on in.”
“He’s lucky to have you, Kelli. I can tell you look out for him.”
“Thanks, and yes, I love the old man. He’s very special.”
Kelli once again announced to Jake that he had a visitor, and then watched as he beamed at Maggie.
When Kelli departed, the old man pulled out a chair for Maggie.
“I see you came back.”
“I hope you don’t mind?”
“I was looking forward to it.”
“I heard about what happened at the funeral yesterday. That woman had no cause to slap you.”
“I only hope it made her feel better. I know what it’s like to lose a child.”
“Yes, you do, don’t you?”
“Do you have any children, Maggie?”
“I have a daughter, and I had another daughter too, but she died very young.”
“Were you ever married?”
“Yes, twice, and you?”
“Yes.”
“To the mother of your son?”
“No, it was another woman, and it was quite a while ago.”
“I married the first time fresh out of high school. He died a month later in Vietnam.”
“That had to be hard for a young girl to handle.”
“It was, but I rebounded, married again, had twenty-two good years, and then lost my second husband to cancer.”
“The years take a lot, but they give back too. I lost my son, but he left behind Gail and the boys, and so I have a daughter and two grandsons.”
“I know what you mean, and I’m a grandmother three times over.”
They smiled across the desk at each other, and after sipping their coffee in silence for a few moments, the old man asked about her case.
“Curtis Willoughby is threatening to sue the insurance company. His check should have been released yesterday, but they’re holding it up while they wait for the DNA report to come back, and they’re doing so under my direction.”
“That’s taking a risk, isn’t it?”
“Only if the DNA test proves that the body in the morgue really is his wife, but I believe the daughter, and burn marks don’t just fade away. That woman in the morgue is not Anne Willoughby’s mother.”
“When is the DNA report due?”
“Sometime today actually, but how is your case going?”
“Things are at a dead end, which doesn’t make sense; this type of killer doesn’t just stop cold.”
“Perhaps he was arrested on some other charge and is incarcerated somewhere.”
“Yeah, Tommy is looking into that.”
“Lieutenant Delaney?”
“Yeah, but he’s Tommy to me, his granddad and I went through the war together.”
“World War II?”
“Yeah.”
Maggie smiled.
“I wasn’t even born until years after that.”
“I’m an old man, Maggie; there’s no denying that.”
Maggie stood, walked behind the desk, and placed a hand on his cheek.
“You’re a hell of a man, and there’s no denying that.”
The door opened and Jake walked in. When he saw Maggie, he smiled.
“I could come back later.”
Maggie grabbed the empty coffee mugs and headed for the door.
“No need, it’s time for me to get to my desk.”
“I enjoyed our talk, Maggie.”
“So did I, Jake, and I’ll see you soon.”
After Maggie left, Jake threw a thumb at the door.
“Sorry to interrupt things, but Kelli wasn’t at her desk to give me the heads up.”
“How is O’Reilly doing?”
“You know about that?”
“I heard about it on the radio, and I knew that you would want to check on her.”
“I did, and she’s good.”
“That girl is the real deal. Tommy is lucky to have her.”
Chris and Velma entered and said good morning.
“How did you guys beat Rayne up here? I saw her outside when I arrived,” Jake said.
Chris rolled his eyes.
“She’s probably still saying goodbye to her boyfriend.”
“What’s the matter, Baby Brother; you miss the loving looks she used to give you?”
“Cut it out, Rayne never had a crush on me. She was just grateful that I saved her life.”
This time it was Velma who rolled her eyes.
“Please, Chris, Rayne wanted you and you know it. I’m just glad she had the decency to respect that we’re together, or else working with her would have been hell.”
“Let’s drop it,” the old man said, “Rayne’s not here to say her piece.”
“Granddad’s right,” Jake said, and a moment later, Rayne walked in the door.
She smiled.
“So, what time are the new clients coming in?”
“They’ll be here at nine,” the old man said, “And in the meantime, I want to go over this B-Girl case again, there’s something we’re not seeing.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing, and I’m wondering if we’ve been going at this from the wrong angle.”
“What do you mean, Jakey?”
“We’re all convinced that this ties in with the B-Girls because that sick message mentioned them, but what if this is all about Selina Clayton, after all, she’s the one he killed. I asked Tommy to look into her personal life more, and I’ll be hooking up with him later to see what he’s come up with.”
“That’s good thinking, Jakey. Maybe we have been too lost in the B-Girl angle because it hit us where we live, but it could be a diversion. This killer is crazy, but being crazy doesn’t necessarily mean stupid.”
“So I guess the ladies and I will be handling this new case then, huh?”
“That’s right, Chris, and by the way, have you talked to your mother?”
“No, why?”
“I glanced out my apartment window last night and saw her leaving with a man, and I’m pretty sure it was Jim Tate.”
Jake sighed.
“I think Mother likes that guy, dirty cop or not.”
“Dirty cop and now an ex-con too, don’t forget,” Chris said.
The old man shouted at them, causing Velma and Rayne to jump in their seats.
“Hey!”
The boys looked over at the old man with trepidation showing on their faces. They knew by the tone of that one word that they were about to get reprimanded for something.
“Your mother has been lonely for a lot of years. If this Tate guy works for her, then she doesn’t need any grief from us, understand?”
“Yeah, Granddad, we got it,” Jake said, as Chris nodded in agreement.
“All right then, now let’s take a look at the facts in this B-Girl case again.”
Jake started reciting the facts from memory, but the old man was barely listening, he was lost in thought, thinking of Maggie Keenan, and wondering if his own string of lonely nights was soon to be broken.
CHAPTER 9
Gail gazed around her office, while looking at the assemblage of seven lovely ladies that made up the service known as the B-Girls.
In the outer office was another gathering, but that one was made up of large, beefy-looking men. They were the bodyguards hired by Gail to watch over the B-Girls, an expensive precaution to be sure, but one that Gail felt obligated to provide.
“I want to thank you all for coming here.”
One of the women spoke up.
“Have they caught the guy that killed Selina?”
“Unfortunately no, not yet.”
“Then what is this about?”
“If you let Mrs. Caliber talk, Debra, we might find out.”
“I’m sorry, Lin, I’m just scared, you know?”
Gail figured she might as well just blurt it out.
“I’m ending the B-Girl service.”
The women all looked startled, and two of them, Leslie and Karen stepped forward. Leslie was a stunning twenty-one-year-old blonde, while Karen was a generously endowed brunette of only nineteen. Both women were studying business administration in college, and had often talked about their classes with Gail.
“Mrs. Caliber, I think that would be a mistake. I know our service is profitable,” Leslie said.
“It’s been very profitable, but I’ve given it much thought and have decided to end it.”
“But why, if it’s been so profitable?”
One of the other women spoke up. She was black, with skin the color of caramel. Her long hair was a mixture of auburn, red, and brown curls, and her eyes were large and blue, with lovely features that were exotic.
“Can’t you see that Mrs. Caliber feels responsible for what happened to Selina? But you shouldn’t ma’am. You’re not to blame for what some crazy person does, still, I understand your reasons.”
“Thank you, Marla.”
“How soon are you ending the B-Girls?” Karen asked.
“Immediately, but you’ll all receive severance packages that match your last six months of earnings.”
Debra, the one who had previously interrupted Gail, pointed towards the outer office, at the bodyguards.
“I guess they’re gone too, hmm?”
Caliber Detective Agency Box Set 2 Page 10