by Iris Bolling
"Was bail set?"
James made no motions or gestures. He stood in front of the reporters with camera lights shining brightly on him and waited until everyone was quiet.
"Good evening or morning, it's been a long night." He solemnly addressed the reporters. "First, I'll address the issue at hand. At approximately nine-thirty this evening, my sister-in-law, Constance Abernathy Brooks, was found dead in her home from a single gunshot. My heart goes out to my brother and his daughter on their loss. In addition, my brother Nicolas Brooks was a passenger on the plane that crashed in the Potomac. My family is in turmoil at this time. As you can imagine I am eager to have my brother released so we may re-join the family at the hospital. I'll take your questions one at a time. Jerry." He pointed to one of the reporters.
"Mr. Brooks, will you be representing your brother in this case?"
"If this charge holds, yes, I will represent my brother." He pointed to another reporter.
"Does this mean you will take a leave of absence from the Harrison Administration?"
"Yes." James pointed to another.
"What evidence do they have on your brother?"
"As far as I know the police, whom he called, found him at the scene."
Neal Kirkland and his team stood behind the reporters watching. "Look at him holding court."
"He's damn good at it, always has been."
Neal turned to stare at his political advisor, Madison Gresham. "You know him?"
"Worked with him on the Harrison campaign. He is very good at what he does and as you can see the media loves him."
Surprised, Neal smirked. "You worked on the Harrison campaign?"
They began walking towards the elevator. "I was his political advisor when he ran for Attorney General."
"Any contact with Vernon Brooks during that time?"
"No, but I can tell you this about James Brooks. You're going to need a small army to beat him." The elevator door closed as they looked on while the cameras continued to shine on James.
Chapter Two
Rene Naverone, the head of investigations for Pendleton-Brooks Sports Agency, stood behind the police tape that still surrounded the home of Constance Brooks. This scenario had never entered her mind. There were thoughts on how the marriage of Vernon and Constance would come to an end. Death was not one of them.
Six months ago Rene walked out of her office to the vision of Vernon Brooks standing at her receptionist’s desk. From behind, his profile was that of a tall, lean man in an expertly tailored suit. When he turned to face her, she almost tripped over her own feet. It took all the will she had to keep moving toward the man who was clean shaven, had a chiseled chin, and the piercing eyes of an eagle focused right on her every movement. Her skin popped with goose bumps as the man made love to her with his eyes. It was downright scandalous the way he looked at her.
A touch on her shoulder brought her back to the present.
"I received your message." Genesis Morgan stood next to her boss and friend. "Whose place is this?"
Rene turned to her friend, and partner from the agency. "Constance Brooks."
"Connie--Vernon's wife?" she asked.
Rene nodded. "You know her?"
"Whew, yes."
"She was killed, one gunshot to the head."
"What? Where is Vernon?"
"In lockup. They are holding him on suspicion of murder."
"Are you kidding me?" Rene shook her head. "Are you freaking kidding me?"
"I wish I was, Genesis. Whatever you are working on give it to Raven. I want you on this until Vernon is cleared."
"You got it." She touched Rene's arm. "How are you holding up?"
She shrugged. “Haven’t had time to process it yet." She turned to see the officer she was waiting for come out of the condo. "Mitch."
Officer Bradley Mitchell looked up at the sound of his name. He changed his direction then walked towards her. "Naverone, this is a mess. Something just doesn't add up."
"Give me an example."
"My partner, Jamison, stayed with Brooks while I checked the house."
"Right." Naverone nodded. "Taylor and I ran in when we heard the shot."
"We came in right behind you." He shook his head. "I checked the windows and the backdoor. All were locked. When I went back through with the detectives, the backdoor was unlocked."
"Another officer could have opened the door," Genesis offered.
"You preserve the scene until the detectives arrive. You touch nothing, you move nothing, not even a pencil off the floor. I know what I did."
"That corroborates with Vernon's statement," Naverone stated. "With your testimony and the recording on his phone why was he arrested at the hospital?"
"We don't know. Jamison received a call from the Lieutenant. He was told to turn over all the evidence to the detectives and release the crime scene to them. Our role was reduced to securing the outside of the premises."
"What detective signed for the evidence?"
"Robert Burke."
Naverone glanced at Genesis. She shook her head indicating she did not know the detective. "Thanks for the info Mitch. We'll check in with him."
"You working this case?" He glared at Naverone.
"No." She tilted her head towards Genesis. "This is my friend, Genesis Morgan. She is heading up this investigation for us."
Mitch held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Morgan. Good move, Naverone. Emotions have a way of blocking good sense." He held her glare for a long moment then walked away. He stopped then turned to her. “One more thing. There was no bullet in the wall."
"Meaning?" Naverone asked.
"Where is the bullet from the shot Vernon fired?" he asked then walked away.
"Someone else was in that house," Naverone summarized. "Genesis, we have to find that bullet." She turned to walk away.
"Any ideas where we should start looking?"
Naverone froze then turned to Genesis. "Isaac Singleton. Check on where he was when all of this hopped off."
#
He hadn't lost a lot of blood, but Isaac Singleton knew he had to get the bullet out. Being an ex-NBA player he knew who to go to for medical help without the possibility of a police report. Who would have known Vernon had such perfect aim. Isaac knew there was no way Vernon could have seen him standing in the dark hallway. When he hit the play button on his phone the sound of a gun being cocked rang out. Within seconds Vernon had secured the gun next to Constance's body and fired in his direction. Isaac grabbed his arm as he quickly ran to the kitchen. Surprised when the police entered the condo, he grabbed a dishtowel to put pressure against his arm. Isaac hid in the storage area under the back staircase. Once the officer cleared the kitchen area and returned to the living room, Isaac eased out and exited through the back door.
"Do you want a souvenir to add to your collection?" Jerry Parks, an ex-team physician asked, as he dropped the bullet into a plastic bag. He then returned to the examination table in one of his examination rooms in the urban clinic he now ran.
"Get rid of it," Isaac replied as he flinched from the pain of the doctor's attention to his wound.
"I don't suppose you want to tell me how this happened?"
"The fifty thousand I'm giving you should cure your curiosity," Isaac replied as he groaned from the doctor’s probing.
Dr. Parks shrugged. "You are lucky the bullet lodged in the muscle. It did not damage the bone. I'll repair the muscle, close the wound and give you some antibiotics. I suggest you take it easy for a few days. No heavy lifting or shooting hoops." The doctor did what he said, applied a pressure bandage then sent Isaac on his way with the promise of payment within twenty-four hours.
Isaac drove to the house he now called home in Northern, VA in pain from the gunshot wound. Anxious, he hurried in the house to turn on the television to watch the news. This is what he needed. His arm may hurt like hell, but the news of Vernon Brooks’ arrest would make him at least a few billion dollars happier
. He poured a drink in anticipation of the report. But there was nothing. Everything was about the plane crash. The entire eleven o'clock news came and went and there was no report of an arrest.
"What the hell?" Isaac picked up his tablet to pull up the Internet. He typed in Vernon Brooks' name and hit enter. Pages of articles came up, but nothing on murder. Confused, he typed in Constance Brooks. The first article was dated with today's date and time, two hours ago. It stated the body of Constance Brooks, wife of attorney Vernon Brooks, was found dead from a gunshot wound. No other details are available at this time.
Isaac cursed as he picked up the telephone and pushed a button.
Lawrence "Cannonball" McNally answered on the other end. Cannon, as he was called, was Isaac Singleton's go to man on his plan to ruin the Brooks family's reputation. There were billions at stake from his father's estate and Isaac spared no expense on his plan to take the mighty Brooks down. If his plans failed he would have to turn over half of the billion dollar estate to Brooks. That was inconceivable to Isaac. He did not care what the terms of his father's will stated.
To disgrace the Brooks he hired Cannon and paid him a sizable salary to ruin each of the siblings one by one. For one reason or another, his plans just did not work. The Brooks were still one of the most powerful and respected families in the country. But now...yes, now that should all change. Hell if he had only known, he would have done this sooner.
"Contact Fairfax County Police. Find out if Vernon Brooks has been arrested." He disconnected the call.
#
Cannon McNally came fully awake at the click of the phone. "What the hell?" He stared at his cell phone for a long minute, then dialed a number. "Naverone, I just got a call from Isaac asking if Vernon has been arrested. What in the hell is going on?"
"I take it you haven't spoken with your cousin Ericka tonight?"
"No, she's at Nick's house waiting for him to return from New York."
"No, she's at the hospital waiting on word of Nick's condition. He was on the plane that crashed in the Potomac River tonight. He's alive, but there are serious injuries."
Cannon jumped out of bed as he listened. He had known Naverone for a long time. There was something in her voice he had never heard before--fear. He pulled out his overnight bag and placed it on the bed. Cannon had been working undercover for Isaac Singleton for a few months now. It started as an investigation into the estate of William Singleton, Isaac's father. Before she died, Cannon's aunt Felicia Kennedy showed him a document indicating her son, Bobby, was William Singleton's son. The document indicated Bobby was due to inherit half of the Singleton estate. Isaac Singleton was now controlling the estate, which totaled well into the billions, and he was doing anything and everything in his power to keep it that way. While working undercover Cannon discovered not only was Bobby due a part of the estate, Vernon Brooks was also due a part of it. In a will, William Singleton designated a portion of his estate for the child of his son Isaac, whom they’d turned their backs on before the child was even born. That child was Vernon Brooks. Cannon thought this case was about to end, now that all the facts about the will and Vernon were known. However, listening to Naverone break down the events of the night, he knew shit was about to hit the fan.
"Where is Vernon now?"
"He is in lockup waiting for his brother to bail him out."
"I'll be in Virginia on the next plane."
"Cannon." Naverone hesitated for a minute. "Stay with Isaac. I don't know why but my gut is telling me he is connected to what is happening. We need someone in his camp. Right now, that's you."
"You are telling me Vernon was actually arrested for this and arraigned?"
"Yes, it seems Isaac reported hearing Vernon threaten Constance earlier in the day."
Cannon sighed as he sat on the side of his bed. "And being a good citizen he reported this to the officers."
"Right."
"I'll stick to him until Vernon needs me."
"I sense you two know each other better than you've let on. Want to share?"
"For the last five years my firm has handled investigations for Vernon's law firm. We know where every body is buried and where every witness is located before Vernon ever takes a case to court."
"Small world," Naverone stated. "Question. Are you in Vernon's cell phone directory?"
"Yes."
"The police have his cell phone. I'm working on tracking it down now."
"Which DA is handling the case?"
"Kirkland himself, showed up for the arraignment."
"The District Attorney, why not one of the assistants?"
"Don't know. ADA Murdock was handling the case, then Kirkland suddenly showed up."
"Murdock's decent," Cannon stated. "If Kirkland is involved this is going to get political quick. He's going to put this case on the fast track. Reach out to Sergeant Sorvino at the fifth precinct. Tell him I sent you. He'll do what he can to track it down for you."
"Will do. Cannon, do you think Isaac could be behind this?"
Cannon thought for a moment. "Isaac is capable of anything.”
#
Naverone turned the phone off as she stared at the entrance to the police station. This was not going to be easy. She stepped out of her vehicle, looked both ways before crossing the street, and then ran to the entrance. She walked inside, and approached an older officer at the desk. She looked at the nametag of the gray haired watch commander sitting behind the desk.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for Detective Burke."
The gentleman glanced up from his stack of papers, then back down, then looked up quickly again. "Lucky guy. But I don't quite see you as Burke’s type."
She smiled. "Thank you, Commander. I need to see him about the Brooks case."
"You smile at me like that again and I'm going to have you arrested for taking indecent liberties with an old man. Down the hall to the left then an immediate right. You should find the detectives inside."
She smiled and winked at the commander as she walked off. Following his instructions, Naverone arrived at the door marked Homicide Division and walked inside. There were desks facing each other around the room, some with cubicles, others without. She walked past a number of empty desks looking at the nametags. It was late at night. She guessed a number of the detectives were already off duty. She reached a desk where a young woman was working. "Excuse me. Could you tell me where I can find a Detective Burke?”
"Hey, Burke, visitor," the woman yelled around the corner.
Naverone watched as a head appeared over the cubicles. "Thanks."
"Good luck," the woman said. "He can be a real ass at times."
"Thanks for the warning," Naverone said as she walked towards the man. When she reached him, she found him to be a bit shorter than she was and a lot rounder. She extended her hand "Detective Burke, my name is Rene Naverone. I work for the Brooks-Pendleton Sports Agency." No response. She dropped her hand. "Detective Burke?"
It took him a moment to register the woman had said something to him. Women like this usually ignored him, but he figured since his partner had stepped away from his desk, she had to be talking to him. "I'm Detective Burke, Robert Burke," he replied as he attempted to adjust his jacket.
"Detective Burke, I understand you collected a cell phone at the scene of the Brooks murder case earlier this evening. Do you still have that phone?"
The mention of the Brooks case brought him back from the fantasyland where a woman like the one standing in front of him would reside. "I'm sorry, you are?"
"Rene Naverone with the Brooks-Pendleton Sports Agency." She reached into her back pocket and pulled out one of her business cards and handed it to him.
He took the card and looked at it then he looked back up at her. "What's your interest in this case?"
"I am here on the request of the Brooks family to recover the property of Vernon Brooks." Now his senses were returning. She wanted the cell phone that he had no intention of giving up until they ha
d a chance to dump it. Which his partner was seeing to at that very moment.
"What proof do you have that you represent the Brooks family?"
"You have my word, Detective, one professional to another."
Burke looked at the woman from head to toe then back up to her eyes. Which he had to admit were pure black in color and entrancing as hell. "What exactly is your profession?”
"Detective Burke, let’s keep this civil," Naverone suggested. "I will not insult your jacket, if you do not insult me."
"This is a murder investigation." He threw her card on his desk. "We're not in the habit of turning over evidence to anyone who walks in the door and requests it."
"I'm not asking for evidence, Detective. I'm asking for the return of property that you are in possession of that was not a part of the evidentiary discovery. We both know that the phone should have been returned to Mr. Brooks at the time of his release. We can go about this in a courteous manner or." She paused. "I can contact the Commissioner. You decide which way you prefer but the phone will be returned to Mr. Brooks."
"Do what you have to do. All of the evidence collected has been sent down to the property room to be checked in. It may or may not be there. For all I know, it may have already been returned to Mr. Brooks."
"If it had, I would not be here. Now, I'm going to ask you again. Where is the personal cell phone of Vernon Brooks?"
"As I said." Burke stepped closer to Naverone in a confrontational manner. "I am not currently in possession of the cell phone." He reached into a drawer. "However, you can complete a requisition to have the property returned."
Naverone leaned towards him and whispered, "I suggest you step back, Detective, before you find your fat ass face down on the floor."
"Excuse me. What's going on here?" Neither Naverone nor Burke moved or responded as a number of people in the squad room turned toward the raised voices. "I said what's going on here?" The woman who had helped Naverone earlier raised her voice. "Detective Burke, I'm not going to ask again?"
Burke snarled, "This woman is attempting to interfere in a murder investigation." He took a step back but never took his eyes off of Naverone.