Caliber Detective Agency Box Set 1

by Remington Kane

  “No it’s not. It’s still young enough to sprint out a front door and down the block.”

  “The way the neighbor across the street said the perp in the ski mask did.”

  “That’s right.”

  “So, what made you suspicious?”

  “Cats.”

  “Cats?”

  Rayne leaned over until her face was an inch from Christopher’s.

  “Would you prefer the term, pussy?”

  Chris raised an eyebrow at that, as Rayne leaned closer and kissed him.

  He kissed her back, but then broke it off.

  “Rayne, I like you, but there’s a chance that Velma and I may get together after all.”

  She stared at him for a moment, and then sat back in her seat.

  “Ah, so once again my timing sucks.”

  “I should have said something sooner.”

  “There’s no need to explain, from now on it’s strictly business,” Rayne started the car. “Why don’t we drive into Manhattan now?”

  “Sure, and Rayne?”

  “Yes?”

  “You’re a good kisser.”

  She sighed.

  “Apparently not good enough,”

  ***

  “Herb Karlo is an asshole, pardon my French.”

  The words came from Jenna Willison, the receptionist from Karlo’s former employer.

  Willison was a petite blonde in her thirties with a wide mouth and a button nose. Her nails were long and extravagantly done in vibrant colors, while her voice carried a southern accent.

  Rayne and Chris sat beside her on a short wall that bordered a fountain. The weather was still unseasonably warm and they decided to eat outside from a food truck parked at the curb. The slight mist from the fountain’s spray played upon them as they talked.

  “Why do you say that he’s an asshole?” Chris said.

  “He uses women, the reason they fired him is because they found out that he was sleeping with the boss’s daughter, and the girl is only nineteen.”

  “When you knew him, what color was his hair?”

  “His hair? His hair is jet black, but I’m sure he dyes it. I remember that his temples were white when he first started here.”

  Rayne showed Jenna a photo of Glenda Roberts, in the photo, Roberts was standing beside her late husband.

  “Have you ever seen the woman in this picture before?”

  Jenna studied the photo for a moment.

  “I’ve seen the man before; he works in the building somewhere.”

  “This building?” Chris said.

  “Yeah.”

  Rayne checked through her case notes.

  “She’s right. Robert’s office was on the same floor as Karlo’s, but what about the woman?”

  “She kinda looks like a gal that I used to see in the halls sometime, but that woman was much heavier.”

  Rayne then brought out a current picture of Herb Karlo. It showed Karlo in a heavy winter coat with a sweater vest and glasses, beneath a mop of white hair.

  “Do you know this man?”

  Jenna tilted her head slightly as she looked at the photo.

  “No, I don’t know him... but, no, I’m sure I don’t know him.”

  “This is a picture of Herb Karlo. I took it yesterday.”

  Jenna snatched the picture from Rayne’s hand and studied it closely.

  “Son of a... you know, it is him, but he never wore glasses, and man is his hair white. He looks thirty years older.”

  “That was the whole idea,” Chris said.

  ***

  As they drove back to Queens, they talked about what they had in the way of evidence.

  “It’s all supposition,” Chris said.

  “True, but everything fits. I thought all along that she had a lover, but I could never spot them together, now I know why, they practically live in the same house.”

  “The rear of those townhouses face an apartment building. If they were sneaking back and forth I think they would have been spotted, knowing the police, they must have canvassed the neighbors.”

  “They did, just as we did, and what we mostly heard is how much Mrs. Roberts and Karlo disliked each other because of their feud.”

  “Yeah, and that, plus making himself look older, took him right off the possible lovers list. But if what you suspect is true, it was a damn good plan, but are you sure that he doesn’t have a cat?”

  “I don’t know for certain, but I do know that Glenda Roberts has two of them, both hairy and white. You’ve seen them laying in the windowsills.”

  “And you saw cat hair all over his black pants?”

  “Yes, and I know it’s not much, but if the cops sweated them, I think one of them would talk.”

  “I don’t want to take it to the cops yet, not until we know for certain that he doesn’t have a cat of his own.”

  “But how do we do that?” Rayne said.

  Chris grinned at her.

  “How do you feel about older men?”

  ***

  Rayne smiled as Herb Karlo answered his front door.

  “Hello Mr. Karlo, do you remember me, sir? My name is Rayne Carver.”

  “Sure, I remember you; you’re that lady investigator for the insurance company.”

  Karlo was talking to Rayne, but as he did so, he was staring at her cleavage. Rayne was wearing a short skirt with a tight blouse, and the top three buttons were unfastened.

  “May I come inside and have a moment of your time, sir?”

  “Step right in, young lady, but what’s this about? Did the police catch that burglar yet?”

  “No, he hasn’t been caught and he likely never will be. I just have some follow up questions for you, and then this case is closed.”

  “What kind of questions?”

  Rayne touched her throat and coughed.

  “Could I bother you for a drink of water?”

  “Sure, and why don’t you take a seat on the sofa there?”

  Rayne smiled in agreement, but followed Karlo into the kitchen anyway.

  “These townhouses are nice, and you have a large kitchen.”

  Karlo handed her a bottle of water that he’d taken from his refrigerator.

  “You said you had questions?”

  “Yes, have you seen any male visitors next door, in particular, overnight visitors?”

  “No, I don’t like the woman, mind you, but she seemed to be in love with her husband. It’ll probably be a while before she starts dating again.”

  Rayne gazed about the room, and when she looked back, she caught Karlo staring at her legs.

  “How many bedrooms do you have here?”

  “Three, but I only use the one.”

  “May I see the upstairs? There’s something similar to these being built in my area and I’m considering buying one, but they haven’t completed the model home yet.”

  Karlo pushed his glasses up on his nose.

  “It’s a little messy up there.”

  Rayne sent him a bright smile.

  “I don’t mind.”

  After they reached the second floor, Karlo gave her a tour of the rooms.

  Rayne pointed up at a chain hanging from the hallway ceiling.

  “What’s that?”

  “The pull-down stairs for the attic, but it’s a small space with a slanted ceiling. I just use it for storage.”

  They returned downstairs and Rayne stood in the doorway.

  “I want to thank you for the tour, but I guess this is the last time we'll see each other. After I hand in my report, I’m sure that Mrs. Roberts will receive her check.”

  “Great, I don’t like the woman, but I’m sure she could use the money.”

  “Have a good night, Mr. Karlo.”

  “You too,” Karlo said, as he stared at her backside.

  Rayne returned to the car and Chris gave her an inquisitive look.

  “Well?”

  “No sign of a cat, no litter box, no food dishes, but I
did see a long dark hair on his pillowcase.”

  “You were in his bedroom?”

  “Just for a moment.”

  “Did he ogle you?”

  “Yeah, but he was discreet, no drooling.”

  Chris looked her over.

  “I wouldn’t have blamed him if he had.”

  Rayne buttoned her blouse all the way up.

  “So, what’s our next move?”

  “Let’s see if we can find a cop who will believe us enough to get search warrants.”

  ***

  Early the following day, police conducted simultaneous searches of both the Roberts’ side of the townhouse building and the side owned by Herb Karlo. When they found the sliding panel that led from Karlo’s attic into Roberts’ attic, Karlo turned to the detective in charge and said four words.

  “I want my lawyer.”

  ***

  With Roberts and Karlo under arrest, Chris and Rayne returned to the office.

  Rayne offered her hand.

  “It was nice working with you.”

  “Same here.”

  “You have my number, so keep me in mind if you ever need help upstairs, okay?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Rayne smiled.

  “I’ll see you around, Chris.”

  “Count on it.”

  Chris left her and went upstairs to the detective agency, where he found a note from his grandfather. The old man had gone out to dinner with his friend, Tom Delaney’s grandfather, an ex-cop who was also named Tom.

  Chris was pacing about the office debating whether to give Velma a call, when the elevator doors opened and she stepped off.

  “I was just thinking of you.”

  Velma walked up to him and kissed him.

  “Michael wants a divorce.”

  “So you’re...”

  “Single again, or I soon will be.”

  Chris took her in his arms.

  “Come here.”

  They embraced for a while, each one holding on to the other as if afraid to let go.

  “I love you, Velma.”

  “I love you, too.”

  When they stepped on the elevator, they were holding hands.

  “No more Velma Channing, so what’s your maiden name?”

  “It’s Parker; soon I’ll be Velma Parker again.”

  Chris brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

  “Don’t get too used to it, I’ve a feeling your name will be changing again soon.”

  Velma smiled, and then gazed down at the pale place on her finger, where a wedding band recently sat.

  CHAPTER 11

  JUNE 2005

  Eight FBI Agents joined with six Port Authority Police Officers in a coordinated raid on a dockside warehouse in Brooklyn. The two lone civilians were both named Caliber, and they waited with anxious faces as they paced by the command vehicle parked a block away.

  These were not men used to staying back in a crisis.

  The policeman with them answered his radio, and then gave them the go-ahead.

  Father and son raced towards the warehouse and were greeted at the entrance by Brice.

  “Where are my boys?”

  “They’re not here, Mr. Caliber, but we did find the body of a young woman, and it doesn’t appear that she’s been dead very long.”

  Jake paced for a moment, but then stopped and gripped his father’s arm.

  “Dad, I think I’ll go insane if we don’t get them back soon.”

  “I know, Son, but you have to hold on and trust that—”

  Jake stopped talking as five closely spaced gunshots echoed between the buildings. He then pointed south.

  “That way!”

  But his son disagreed, “No Dad, I think it’s coming from the west.”

  Brice sighed in frustration.

  “It was nearby, but these buildings and the open water play havoc with sounds.”

  Jake urged his son west, and then took off heading south.

  “We’ll split up!”

  Brice shouted for them to wait, but the two Calibers were finished waiting.

  ***

  At the sound of the first gunshot, Gabe stared dumbfounded at the hole that appeared between his feet, but when the second and third shots entered his chest, he made a desperate sound and fell between the seats, to crawl towards the rear of the van. Meanwhile, the man named Lee scrambled up atop the dashboard.

  Gabe tried to ask Marco for help, but then the fourth bullet hit Marco in the ribs and the tall man cried out and fell over on his side. As Gabe fumbled for his gun, another bullet came from below, and this one entered his right eye and exited out the back of his skull, much like the shot he had inflicted on Jenny.

  ***

  Beneath the van, Jake winced at the pain from his broken left arm. He had received the injury when the van struck him, and also had a bad scrape on the same arm, and it was still bleeding.

  Above him, he heard the van door open on the passenger side and waited to see a foot appear. There was one bullet left in Marco’s revolver, and he intended to make it count.

  But then, he heard the sound of metal bending as someone climbed atop the vehicle.

  It’s the small man, the quiet one, Jake thought, because he was almost certain that Gabe and Marco were dead.

  An instant later, the man’s feet hit the ground and Jake took aim and fired, but just as he pulled the trigger, the small man leapt up onto the hood.

  “Shit!” Jake yelled.

  He’d had one chance to get out of the situation alive and he knew that he misused it.

  The small man realized it too, because he leapt from the van and stared beneath the vehicle with his gun pointed at Jake.

  “Come out!”

  Jake cursed again and began to ease himself from beneath the vehicle. Then, he heard the small man grunt and watched as he fell flat on his face, with blood seeping from the back of his scalp.

  Chris peered beneath the vehicle and grinned at Jake, while holding a brick in his hand.

  “I got him!”

  Jake eased himself out from beneath the vehicle.

  “Chris, I told you to run.”

  “Don’t be mad, and I got him didn’t I? Oh crap, look at your arm!”

  “It’s broken, but I’ll be okay.”

  Jake grabbed the small man’s gun and stuck it in his pocket. He then unlocked the other end of the handcuffs hanging from his wrist, and used the cuffs to secure the man to the van’s steering wheel, after removing the keys.

  “Now let’s get the hell out of here,” he told Chris.

  They had made it around the corner and taken several steps, when they heard the command to stop.

  When they turned around, they saw Marco pointing Gabe’s gun at them. He was holding it in his left hand, because his right hand was dangling limply from its broken wrist. There was also a trickle of blood running down his left side, beneath the armpit.

  Jake moved in front of his brother and eased his good hand towards the gun in his pocket.

  “We’re not getting back in that van.”

  Marco aimed the gun at Jake’s face as he leaned against the corner of the building.

  “Fuck that ransom.”

  Jake flinched at the sound of the shots, but then he watched Marco crumple to the ground.

  As they walked over to stare down at him, their father came around the corner with his gun drawn.

  “Dad!” Chris yelled, and nearly tackled his father to the ground, then, Jake joined in the reunion and the three of them hugged each other and laughed.

  Their father kissed them.

  “Oh thank God you’re safe.”

  The boys both heard a sound and looked up to see their Grandfather smiling at them.

  “Those kidnappers look a little worse for wear, boys.”

  Jake smiled at the old man.

  “That’s what happens when you tangle with Calibers, Granddad.”

  ***

  Brice ap
peared with a cadre of police officers and agents to take control of the scene, and soon the boys were ferried to the hospital.

  Gail arrived just as they finished with Jake’s cast, and she cried when she looked at him.

  “Mom, it’s okay, it’s just broken, and it’ll heal.”

  Gail ran her hand down the side of his face as tears fell from her eyes.

  “You killed two men?”

  “Yes, I killed two men in self-defense.”

  “What is it with this family? Why do the men always lead such violent lives?”

  “Mom, I had no choice.”

  “Oh baby, I know that, but it’s not the life I want for you, or your brother.”

  “Where is Chris?”

  “He’s outside in the corridor with your dad, Granddad, and Velma.”

  “Dad saved our lives, Mom.”

  “I know, baby, and thank God he got there when he did.”

  A loud cry came from the corridor

  “Mom!”

  Jake and Gail looked at each other, and then spoke the same words. “That’s Chris!”

  When they rushed out into the hallway, Gail saw that her husband was lying flat on his back and that Velma was trying to revive him. Before she could reach him, the old man returned with a doctor who immediately went to work on Jake.

  “Chris, what happened?”

  “I don’t know. We were sitting here talking and laughing and then, and then Dad grabbed his head and said that he had a sudden headache. Right after that, his eyes went all funny and he fell onto the floor.”

  A nurse joined the doctor as they tried to get Jake to breathe. When a second nurse rolled a crash cart on the scene, they applied the paddles with no result, then, the gurney came, and Jake was rushed away even as the doctor straddled him and kept up the CPR.

  The old man took his daughter-in-law’s hand and rushed after the gurney, with the boys and Velma following, but when they reached the trauma unit, they were told that they would have to wait outside.

  As Velma held the boys close to her, Gail fell into the old man’s arms and sobbed.

  ***

  Minutes passed that felt like forever, then, at last, the doctor emerged, and when he spoke, he broke the terrible news.

  “I’m sorry to tell you this, but Mr. Caliber died.”

  Gail collapsed, and would have hit the floor if the old man hadn’t caught her.

  With a trembling voice, she asked the doctor how he died.

  “We won’t know for certain until after the... until later, but we believe that he died of a cerebral aneurysm, a weakened area in the wall of a blood vessel within the brain, and there’s a good chance that it could have been congenital, present since birth.”