I know Franny is right, and I assure him that my guard is up, but he continues anyway, “I just know you, bro; you fall in love so fast. We are the complete opposites when it comes to women.” Franny is staring at me. I can tell his mind is going a mile a minute.
He is right. I try and change the subject.
“You didn’t bang her?” I know Franny isn’t finished. Once he gets started talking about sex, he can’t help himself. It must be his ADD.
“Franny, nothing happened. We just talked.” This thing with Cynthia is so new, and I haven’t even wrapped my head around it. No way am I dissecting it with Franny when we have life and death to focus on.
Franny turns and looks out into Long Island Sound. I am glad this subject is over.
“So, little brother, how are we going to take Donny out? We need a plan.” His silence makes me feel a little uneasy.
I sense that this just may be the last day of calm before the storm.
Chapter Twenty-One: Where’s Donny?
My cell phone rings as I drive Franny back towards headquarters. I recognize the number and my stomach is instantly filled with butterflies. I answer, trying not to smile in front of my brother’s watchful eye.
“Hello, Matt, it’s Cynthia. Remember me?” she says playfully.
I answer, paying close attention to the fact that the master of women is sitting next to me. “How could I forget?” I respond. “I was just talking about you. When would you like to get together for dinner?”
“How about tonight?” she says.
I can tell Cynthia likes me and thankfully she is taking the lead. If left up to me, it would have taken a long time before I worked up the nerve to ask her out.
We agree to meet at my apartment at seven after which I would take her to dinner at one of my favorite joints. As I hang up the call, I can feel Franny’s eyes staring at me, but I don’t want to turn, so I ask him to get on with the jokes. “Come on Franny; let your big brother have it. I know I am a sap.”
Franny smirks. “Yeah right. You guys didn’t fuck. Whatever.” I don’t have the strength to fight him on it anymore. But what he says next is important. “Do you want me to put a tail on you guys?”
“Absolutely, bro.” I am happy he is thinking.
As we arrive back at headquarters, we find ourselves curious as to whether the Captain heard from the lab. Franny and I race from my Jeep to the entryway without stopping to say hello to the squad that is heading out for their patrol tour. Of course the little prick beats me by a twenty-yard margin.
From the hallway I can hear Captain Grassio screaming. “We got you, scumbag! Now we are coming for you!”
Franny and I can’t help but laugh as we walk into his office. “Men, Katherine called from the lab. It’s a match. Kepler is ours. Would you two like the honor of picking him up?”
Franny is pumped, so I let him answer. “Yes, Captain. Absolutely!”
The Captain is beaming. I have never seen him this happy before. It is a great day for our police department. “Listen, when this thing is done, Franny, I am making you detective. Matt, I can’t promote you to sergeant until the next exam comes out, but consider it done.” He continues without hesitating, “Nobody knows about this but the three of us and the lab. I want to keep it that way until you drag that fucker in here wearing handcuffs.”
I am getting excited too. This is exactly the justice Ms. Burton deserves. Her physical scars will heal and this arrest will help her emotional scars begin to heal as well.
Captain Grassio’s demeanor changes when the phone rings again. I can tell the news is not good. The Captain barely speaks. He just keeps saying “okay” over and over again. He is staring at me. Watching his excitement quickly fade is unpleasant to my eyes.
He hangs up and utters words I thought I would never hear, “There’s been an accident. Donny’s dead.”
My knees become weak as I fall into the chair behind me. Franny also has to sit to process the news. I can feel Franny looking at me to gauge my reaction. He knows what we are both thinking. Could this be true? Donny has made himself disappear before. Is this part of his plan, or is it really an accident? Secretly, I am happy I don’t have to do it, but part of me feels a strong reluctance to believe it is true.
Captain Grassio speaks so softly I have to lean towards him to hear. “That was Donny’s Aunt. She was notified by Westchester County Police of a rollover crash on the Cross County Parkway. Donny’s car went airborne, landing in a wooded area and bursting into flames. The lone driver’s body was totally charred. Zia Maria was unable to identify his remains, but they are awaiting dental records.”
“Did they at least find Donny’s badge?” I say, trying to make sense of this madness.
“No. That’s why we were never notified. The car is registered to Donny’s aunt. She was too distraught to talk about it until now.”
The room is quiet for a minute until I break the silence. “Cap, how do we know someone didn’t borrow Donny’s car… Or maybe it was stolen?”
Franny chimes in next. “Didn’t Donny call you this morning to bang in sick?”
The Captain is visibly shaken. “The message I got was from last night. The accident happened around four this morning.”
My cell phone is buzzing in my pocket. The caller ID shows it is Cynthia calling, most definitely with the same shocking news.
I walk out of the office, answer, “Hello,” and can’t help but smile.
“We are still on for tonight, right, Matt?”
“Definitely,” I say with no hesitation.
Cynthia obviously is up on her current events. “Sorry about Donny. We can talk about it later.” The phone goes dead. Cell service sucks inside this building, probably due to interference from department radios.
I walk back into the office with the strangest feeling in my gut. What the hell is going on here? Is Donny really dead? Does Cynthia know something I don’t?
I let Captain Grassio know we will be heading down to Kepler’s to pick up the little man. The boss doesn’t even lift his head; he just nods and looks completely dejected.
Franny isn’t sure if we should leave him right now. The Captain reassures us that he is all right as we leave. Franny grabs the keys to our detective car as we walk out the back door of headquarters.
“What did your girlfriend say?” Franny is staring right at me.
“She said she was sorry.”
“It sounds totally bizarre. Donny could drive that car on two wheels if he had to, even if he was completely bombed.”
“You’re right.”
Franny looks real hard at me. “Maybe this is a blessing.”
The ride to Kepler’s apartment is quiet—the satisfaction of nailing this monster is gone. We don’t need anything from him, and I am hoping he will just lawyer up. His DNA is on the Rolling Stones shirt along with Jessica’s too. The positive identification by Jessica on the photo array, the video surveillance from Taku, and the DNA he left inside Jessica slam the gavel down for an easy conviction. I just hope he is home and this doesn’t ruin my dinner plans. I have a million questions for Cynthia, and Franny has a few of his own.
We double-park in front of Taku. I poke my head inside to see if prince charming is there but only see Ms. Kim, who waves. I give her a thumbs-up as Franny and I open the lobby door.
We have our handguns out as we climb the staircase heading for the apartment of Hutchville’s most wanted man. I take the lead and knock on the only door visible on the second floor. There is no apartment number on the white metal door nor is there a peephole for us to be seen.
I can hear someone moving inside. The footsteps are getting closer. As the door opens a centimeter, Franny kicks it as hard as he can, knocking the person down to the floor.
Our entry is quick. It takes no time for us to clear the apartment and ensure no one else is inside. Franny and I look down at the man. For a second I think we have knocked out a male child. We roll him over and see that it is i
ndeed Leonard Kepler. I am so happy this asshole is unconscious.
Franny cuffs him up, and we both stand and admire the view. Franny is in heaven; the look on his face brings him back twenty years. I can’t help but smile as he walks in a perfect square admiring one curio after another. It’s amazing how something so stupid can bring you back in time so easily. My gaze is interrupted by coughing and hacking coming from below. Kepler is coming to and is an angry little man.
“What the fuck is going on?” Kepler keeps screaming.
I remind him of his manners by stepping on his balls. He promises to be quiet real fast. “Mr. Kepler, my name is Detective Matthew Longo from the Hutchville Police Department. You’re under arrest for the rape of Jessica Burton, you piece of shit. You are going to love prison where the boys are going to love you. We have a search warrant for your apartment and are big fans of your alien robot collection.”
Kepler’s face turns white and he starts to cry.
Franny continues the conversation. “Hey, dickhead, do you like anal? That little asshole of yours is going to get stretched out so bad you will never be constipated again.”
I bring the dialogue back to a professional discourse and issue Kepler his Miranda rights from memory before asking, “Do you have anything you would like to say to us?”
Kepler is defeated but still retains his wits about him. “No, I want my attorney.”
Franny can’t help himself. “Good luck with that!”
We lift our small package and deliver him swiftly to our awaiting ride. A nosy crowd stops to look as this sobbing moron is tossed into our back seat. Franny and I jump into our car and drive off, completely forgetting for the moment that Donny is dead.
Chapter Twenty-Two: The End
Captain Grassio is waiting at the back door to greet us. A small group of cops stands along the brick entryway of headquarters wanting a glimpse of something they thought could never be solved. Most of them are heading down to Kepler’s apartment to process the search warrant. This is our moment and for Franny and me—it is all good. Our careers are on top, and if Donny is really gone, the possibilities are endless here at Hutchville PD.
Franny takes Leonard out of the back seat. I can’t believe he is still sobbing like a baby. It is annoying. At least be a man and own up to what you did. I still can’t believe this little prick overpowered Ms. Burton.
Captain Grassio has zero remorse for Leonard too. “I got you, scumbag. I hope you get fucked every day for the next twenty years. You want your lawyer, right? You can see him tomorrow because I own your ass tonight. I might even fuck you myself just for the hell of it. It’s the least I can do for all you have done for our community.”
Franny and I are tearing up from the laughter. We have seen the Captain in action before, but this time he outdoes himself.
Franny leads Leonard into the booking room while I go to wash up. I hate touching these maggots; it grosses me out. Franny joins me at the sink and offers to do all the paperwork so I don’t miss my date. I can’t thank my brother enough, and I tell him just how proud I am of him. We promise to celebrate as soon as we can, but it looks like our department is on the verge of the first police funeral ever.
The Captain finds us washing up and asks whose arrest it is going to be. I look right at him and tell him Franny deserves it. He agrees and I can see he is troubled by something.
“Cap, what are we doing about Donny?”
“I called the lab right after you guys left. They have one set of dental records to compare with the body from when Donny was a teenager. Dr. Scavone is supervising the comparison. I don’t know, but it sounds like we will be having a funeral in a couple of days.”
“I am sorry, Cap, I know you were close with him,” I say, trying to be sincere.
Franny tells me he will call after the judge remands Kepler. I know what he means and I am happy he is on top of this shit. I leave the building with a sense of relief. It is five o’clock on the nose. I have a couple of hours to get ready.
As I am approaching my car, the local news van is pulling in. Clearly they’ve heard the police scanner announcing either the arrest of Hutchville’s most famous rapist or the death of Detective Donny Mello.
It only takes a few minutes to get home. I haven’t checked my mailbox in a few days since I learned of Donny’s true intentions for me. Who has time for mail when you’re being hunted like a deer? The box is loaded with mostly bills and the latest Maxim catalog, which I can’t wait to tear into later. To my surprise, a postcard falls from the middle of the pile landing on the lobby carpet. As I bend to pick it up, I notice a message scrawled in black ink. “Don’t go anywhere alone, and wear your vest. It saved your life once. Goodbye, my friend.”
My eyes scan the writing again, in disbelief of what I am reading. His words come back to me, rushing over me like typhoon. The only advice my partner ever gave me, and reminded me of over and over, were written here in black and white. The return address is left blank except for two initials, P.F. which makes me think for a second. “Paolo Fretti,” I whisper to myself. I flip the postcard over to reveal a picture of the scenic Italian countryside.
Holy shit, I say to myself. Donny faked his own death, and he wants to make sure I know he is still alive. My head is spinning with questions. What is Donny trying to tell me? Is he giving me a pass for old time’s sake? Or does he still intend on finishing what he started?
I unlock my door and walk inside, setting the mail on the kitchen table. No matter what, I will go through life looking over my shoulder. I am left with a nasty scar and major nightmares that will always be a reminder of the hell he put me through. One good thing did come from it; I have a chance with Cynthia. The latter is the only one I will thank him for… right after I return the favor of shooting him in the chest with a twelve-gauge shotgun loaded with double O buckshot. Hopefully, Donny won’t take his own advice about wearing his bulletproof vest.
I jump in the shower and try to forget the postcard. I don’t want to talk about it with Cynthia, at least not yet. I don’t want her involved with this any more than she already is. Although, I am not completely confident that she doesn’t already know. After all, she is the one who told me about Paolo Fretti being Donny’s alias, as well as his murderous intentions for me. My shower is quick; I hate to waste water. The white towel hangs just below my belly button as I walk into my bedroom. Drips of water trickle from my hair and leave a trace of me on the hardwood floor. My favorite button down is pressed and ready for khaki pants and black shoes with a two-inch heel. Cynthia is just a few inches shorter than me. If she’s wearing tall heels, I don’t want to be shorter than her. I waste no time getting dressed, trying to think about the night ahead instead of the postcard sitting on my kitchen table. Instinctively, I strap my Glock to my right ankle and pull my pants down to cover the bulge. I can’t take any chances, not now or ever again.
There is a knock on my door at seven on the nose. I am impressed; most women are never on time. But Cynthia is not like the others. She is different. I glance one more time into the bathroom mirror. Hurry up, Matt, don’t keep a pretty lady waiting. I open my door to find the most beautiful woman I have seen dressed to kill. Cynthia’s black dress is hot. She looks like a Victoria Secret angel without the wings. Her long blonde hair has some darkened curls that look amazing. You would never guess she is a FBI agent.
“So where do you hide your gun when you’re all dolled up?” I don’t see a bulge and believe me I am looking.
She smiles. “That’s for you to find out later.”
Thank you for purchasing In A Small Town and please leave your review at the following link: http://amzn.to/1tZQdwf.
The story continues with Back In Town, A Small Town Series: Book Two. The first chapter is included for you on the next page.
Excerpt: Back In Town
Chapter One: A Dead Man Speaks
August 30, 2007
All the little man wants is to rest his eyes. The constant t
orment of the crazy captain finally ends just after midnight. The stinging sensations in his hands, arms and face are still fresh in his mind. He can’t remember the last time he was beaten with his own shoes. A quick flashback enters and exits, with a glimpse of an incident in a high school gym. It is just as he imagined: teenage bullies then are no different than adult bullies now. He is used to this sort of treatment; it is to be expected, especially locked up in a testosterone raging police department. His eyes finally close for a millisecond; then he hears someone walking towards his cell. Maybe if I look asleep they will leave me alone. No such luck as the cell door is unlocked. He braces for the impact that never comes.
“Leonard, Leonard, time to fly.”
Leonard Kepler opens his eyes, jumps back startled, and silently wishes the insane captain with the slap happy sneaker brigade were standing before him.
“Captain Grassio, is that you?” It is so confusing to see someone wearing a goblin mask, dressed in black, standing inside a jail cell.
“No, he’s gone Leonard. You’re safe. Come on.”
Leonard is afraid. He doesn’t want to leave but what choice does he have, with a pistol pointed directly at his face? He follows the bright white sneakers with reluctance through the darkness of the Hutchville Police Department. The hallway is spooky in the middle of the night. The lights are off inside the building. Leonard can’t believe they are going to transport him to the county lock-up now. Why wouldn’t they wait till morning? What’s the mask all about? One last scare before my parting? Leonard keeps his thoughts to himself.
The situation becomes even more puzzling as Leonard is thrown into the back of a dark and dated Lincoln Town Car. Why not a police cruiser for my transport? Leonard is too afraid to speak up. He is surprised to see the driver wearing an identical goblin mask. Both men remove their masks. Leonard does not recognize either of them. Each man lights up a cigarette and cracks open a window as the car slides away without the use of headlights. Leonard watches as the police station becomes just a small dot in the distance.
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