The 13th Hour: A Marston Thriller (The Marston Series Book 4)

by Brigitta Moon

  “We should get a table so we can talk,” Romero told the lawyer.

  Jeffery swiped his beer from the bar and followed Romero to a booth in the rear.

  "I have to tell you, Detective, I honestly believe I have an innocent client. The man's record is as clear as glass that’s just been cleaned with Windex. Not one infraction on the law." Jeffrey cupped his beer.

  “Even if you think you have an innocent client, you have to back it up with proof. I know I don't need to tell you this, but I thought I'd put it out there, Counsellor.”

  I have the proof. What I need is a second opinion. That's why I asked you to come. I ran through the market's video a few times. There was something that just ate away at me—"

  "Aye, like the cop gut." Romero nodded.

  “Yes, just like that. So, I went back to square one and watched again, and again. On the third pass I saw it."

  “Come on, Counsellor, I am beginning to feel like my partner when she wants to hurry along the discovery. You're drawing it out for suspense, right?"

  A wry smile crept across Jeffrey’s face. "You caught me. Ok, here is everything in one shot. The man was set up."

  "I sure as hell hope you have more than your word. Don't get me wrong, Counsellor, I believe you. I even trust you, but I'm going to need more."

  The lawyer smiled. "I have more for you, and then some. I recognized one of the two men Jesse Owens was talking to inside the market. That's what was bothering me. The man was vaguely familiar."

  "What finally triggered the memory?" Asked Romero.

  "His mannerisms. I've seen him at the station in action a couple times. Have you ever experienced love at first site?”

  Romero smiled, remembering the first time he had seen Linsey. Now, they were getting married. “I have.”

  “Well, this lies at the other extreme. This man gave off a vibe so rank, I had to step back as if someone had let go of a big one.”

  “Just because you took an instant dislike to this character doesn’t make him a crooked cop. Is that what you’re inferring?”

  “There is one other thing. According to my client, he thought one of the men was a neighborhood thug and the other one definitely seemed out of place.”

  “In what way?” asked Romero.

  “He was well-dressed. His clothes were over-priced for the market and anything else within a ten-mile radius.”

  “Is that all?”

  “He didn’t fit in at all. He was white. Although his buddy was black, there was something off. Jesse says while his cheek was smashed on the floor, he could see the exit door. The policeman was talking and laughing with the guy as he cuffed him. For Jesse, it didn’t look like a true arrest. It was as if he was conversing with a friend.”

  “The black guy was arrested?” asked Romero.

  “It appears he was, but as you detectives always say—nothing is as it appears. So, I did some research on these guys. Of course, he walked because he was never actually arrested. It was all a show.” Jeffrey spread his hands. “Hey look at us, we’re doing our job, keeping the neighborhood safe. And how do they do this? They arrest an innocent man and set him up to take the fall for a drug deal he knows nothing about. You follow me, Detective?”

  “Partially. Do you know who the man is?”

  “It took some ingenuity on my end, but I now know exactly who they are. The black man is a beat cop. The white guy is his partner outside the job, and most important—partners in crime.”

  “Are you saying he’s a dirty cop?”

  “The shoe fits him one hundred percent. Him and his partner are as dirty as two children waddling in the mud. They picked the wrong one this time.”

  “What do you mean by this time?”

  “Keep up, Detective. This is not their first set up. I have a friend in the department who owes me a few favors. I called one in, and he pulled the cop’s arrest records for me. Seems he has been busy.”

  “Jeeze,” said Romero frowning. “Seriously, man, they’re—”

  “As dirty as they come. Look, I’ve done my homework. My client says there is some secret group at the prison, invite only. It would seem that these felons have been falsely accused and this King guy is working on setting them free.”

  Romero took a toothpick from his pocket and stuck it between his teeth. “I swear this King guy is all over this thing. His name crawls in every time.”

  “So far this Dr. King slash prison guard hasn’t come through for not one of these convicts. He’s a lot of talk, wallows in his own light.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. The guy drives me crazy just having to listen to him.”

  “Do you like him for the mayor’s niece’s kidnapping?” asked Jeffrey.

  “In my opinion, the guy is boring and aggravating, but he seemed genuinely alarmed by Gina’s case. I think he has a thing for her, and she probably brushed him off.”

  “There is a motive in the flesh, spurned love,” said Jeffrey.

  “Tell me, what did you see in the videos?”

  Jeffrey took a big sip of his beer. “You have to watch closely or it’s easy to miss, like a slight of hand. The suited guy plants something in the coach’s jacket pocket. He’s so quick you can miss it.” Jeffrey took another sip of his beer. “Here’s the scenario—Three guys talking in the aisle. One looks away from the group toward the door. The cops are on the premises. He says something and takes off running. The white guy bumps the coach as makes his exit. Now, if you look real close, you’ll see his jacket flap slightly and his pocket puffs out.”

  “The plant,” interjected Romero.

  Jeffrey nodded. “My client’s fingerprints were not on the package. And as a matter of fact, no one’s were.”

  “There is some new drug on the street called—”

  “Lemon Spice.” Jeffrey finished the detective’s sentence. “From what I hear, it’s a bad trip. You fly high and then crash. Many of the highs end in death. And still, they keep coming back for more.”

  “Where are you getting your info?” asked Romero.

  “My friend on the inside. Up until now, the police didn’t have access to the drug to run any tests. Thanks to your partner, Billy, they have what they need.”

  “Billy’s a good kid. If he had died, I don’t think I would have been able to forgive myself for sending him in.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up. You made a call. He went in and got what was needed. Fortunately, his dose was small, and he’s still with us.”

  Romero nodded.

  “I like him. He’s smart,” said Jeffrey. “Someone is pushing my case. We have a date for the Pretrial Hearing and Motions. Before I know it, we’ll be deep in a jury trial, and Gloria will be looking me up again.”

  Romero scratched his head. “Gloria?”

  “Don’t even ask. What I can tell you, is if I don’t get this man off, Gloria is going to do whatever comes next after she looks me up.” Jeffrey’s lips turned down as his eyes dropped to his beer.

  “Okay, I’ll pretend I understood. So, if you turn up dead what is Gloria’s last name?”

  “Hell, if I know. But, I think she’s a good person. The weird thing is, I think she is in love with this coach who has not ever noticed her.”

  Romero shook his head. “So sad to see a woman chasing a man who has no interest in her.”

  “Hey, I think she has his interest now.” Jeffrey finished off his beer. “So, what do you think about my innocent client’s case?”

  “You’re the educated lawyer. I’m only a detective—”

  “An educated detective whom I have come to respect over the years.”

  “You make me blush, Counsellor. Now, what would you like from me?”

  “My buddy gave me a lot of good intel, but I need more. I need to find out who the men are in this clandestine group so I can see if their arrests are a mirror of Jesse Owens.”

  “And if they are, what do you intend to do?”

  “First, use whatever I can to free
my client. My next move will be to work on their cases if they will have me.”

  Romero threw up his hands. “Stop, wait, these men have nothing in the means of cash.”

  “Detective, not everything is about how long the cash is.”

  “Excuse me,” said Romero. “Is this a new look for the lawyer for the uptown scum?”

  “Do you like the new look?”

  “I’ll leave it open for now.”

  “That’s fair.” Jeffrey checked his watch. “Six o’clock. I have to be getting home. My wife is cooking a special dinner tonight.”

  Romero looked at his watch too. “Seventeen hours before we see the mayor’s niece’s fate.” Romero held up his hand for the check.

  “Will you get more information about this cop and his partner in crime?”

  “I’ll do what I can. I’m going to have to enlist Billy for this one.”

  Romero’s cell rang out. He slipped it from his pocket and answered.

  “Romero here.” He listened to the caller, frowned, and ended the call.

  Jeffrey eyed Romero with a question in his eyes.

  Romero said, “The mayor’s wife has just received another package.

  Chapter 56

  Just a as Romero was about to leave SUDS, he bumped into Mayor Harden.

  “Mayor Harden,” Romero’s brows arched. “What are you doing here? You should be with your wife.”

  “Becky told me I could find you here. I need an ear.”

  “You want to grab a booth?”

  “Yes, one that’s kind of private.”

  “You’ve got it, sir. I know exactly the booth.” Romero led the way. They ambled past the bar, and occupied booths on both side of the aisle. Romero stopped at the last booth in the rear. They slid in opposite each other.

  “Something to drink, sir?”

  “Normally, I would not come here. I know it’s a hangout for you guys after work. The last person you want to see after a hard day’s work is Mayor Hardass. That’s right. I know all about it. Am I right?”

  A sheepish grin darted across Romero’s face. The mayor saw it if only for a split second.

  “Never mind, don’t answer that.” Mayor Harden slid closer to the table, folded his hands on top of the scarred wooden surface. He eyed Romero. “You’re a smart man. I have followed your career since you were a rookie. Honestly, in the beginning, I thought you would never have made it this far.” He pointed at Romero’s chest. “But, you made it all the way to become the top detective.”

  “Good to know you had such little faith in me.”

  “You have proved yourself time and time again. This is why I’m here seeking you out. I need to talk this thing through to decide what I am going to do.”

  Romero narrowed his eyes. “I’m not trying to be rude, sir, but shouldn’t you at least come off as if you’re going to comply with the terms of the ransom?”

  “I can’t. I’m between a rock and a hard place. If I appear as if I’m complying with the ransom I have someone on the other end who will not take kindly to my caving in. These people are more of an adversary than the man holding Gina.”

  “I don’t follow you, Mayor. Your niece is in the hands of a kidnapper and you’re refusing to even appear that you are going for the exchange. Your refusal to help us is cutting our time short.” Romero checked his watch. 1830, sixteen and a half hours before this sick fucker kills Gina.” The skin on Romero’s face tightened to a shine. “What the hell is wrong with you? Do you love your niece? Your wife? She is sitting home looking a box that she fears has a part of Gina inside. And what are you doing? Sitting here having a pity party for yourself.”

  “You’re wrong, son. Everything I do is for my family. If I bend to these terms, I’ll lose everything—my wife, my job, my money. I have worked too hard to get where I am to lose it all for some scum on the street who thinks he can force me to do anything.”

  “Force you to do what, Mayor? Let us help you. Let us bring your niece home safe—”

  “Daughter.”

  “Excuse me,” said Romero.

  Mayor Harden pinned Romero with a worried stare. “If you mention this to anyone, I will deny every bit of it.”

  Romero nodded. Looking at the mayor, he knew there was a world splitting story coming.

  “Gina is the result of a fling with my secretary. We kept it secret from everyone including Gina. When Gina’s mother died I took her in. I had no choice, so she became my niece.”

  Romero’s forehead wrinkled in response to the mayor’s answer. Hiding his distaste for the mayor’s confession was difficult. “How did you suddenly have a niece? Wasn’t your wife suspicious?”

  “It was simple. My brother isn’t married and he had no children that he knew of until Gina’s mother died. Suddenly, he was a single dad to a child he had never met. He begged my wife and I to take her in. We did.”

  “Just like that, your wife accepted Gina.”

  “My wife can’t have children, Detective. She was happy to have a child that she could love and call her own.”

  “Her own? This child, no, now she’s a woman, but...this is rotten. She is your love child and your wife has no idea.”

  “That’s the problem. This blackmailer knows the truth. He has the power to destroy me in more ways than he knows.”

  “Jeeze.” Romero fished for a toothpick. At this moment he felt the urge for a blast of nicotine. He settled for the toothpick, stuck it between his teeth and waited for the craving to disappear.

  “I admire you, son, you conquered your smoking habit, and replaced it with something that won’t kill you.”

  “Why are you opening up now about this well-kept secret, and why to me?”

  Mayor Harden scanned the tables near theirs before he answered. “I think I can trust you. You’re a good detective. You close all your cases and—”

  “Sir, with all due respect, I don’t work alone like the Lone Ranger. I have two partners. We close our cases because our skills complement each other.”

  “Refusing to accept all the glory; this is why I came to you. You’re an honest man.”

  “I also believe in family. A skeleton like this is bound to show itself. I don’t know how I can help you with your secret, other than to tell you that you should be the one to tell your wife, not some kidnapper or news reporter.”

  Mayor Harden fell back against the back of his chair and looked up at the ceiling. “Is that all you can say? Tell my wife?” he shook his head. “Not going to happen. I will keep this from her and Gina at all cost.”

  “Even at the cost of Gina’s life? What do you imagine is in that box waiting for you at home? Her head? Do you care? Or is this your way out? If Gina is dead your secret stays in the closet?” Romero’s lips twisted. “You’re wrong. If you allow her to be killed, your problems will magnify and you will still end up with nothing, not even a friend.”

  Mayor Harden scanned the tables again, sat forward in his chair decreasing the proximity between him and the detective. “There’s more. I need you to work this through for me.”

  “No, sir, you need God.”

  The mayor’s face screwed up in anger. “I need you. You’re the best here on earth. I want you to help me make this go away.”

  “How? Do you have a plan cooked up?”

  The mayor smiled. Romero grimaced and checked his watch.

  “Sixteen hours before the curtain falls. Are you going to help us bring your daughter home?”

  “Daughter,” the mayor parroted. It sounded foreign to his ears, felt like gravel rolling off his tongue. “You have not heard the entire story, Detective.”

  “At this point, I think I should get up and walk away.”

  Mayor Harden reached out and grabbed Romero’s arm as he stood to leave. “Please, hear me out. I can only tell this story once, and only to you.”

  “Why? What makes me privy to your story?”

  “Please, have a seat.” He let go of Romero’s arm. “You are a
lready closing in.”

  Chapter 57

  Gina stared up at DeShawn. He had to be crazy, maybe strung out on drugs or booze, she thought. She looked at his eyes. They were clear and looked normal to her. She tried sniffing like a blood hound without being noticed. There was no alcohol in the air, no marijuana. The only thing she smelled was an oil that she figured he or his grandmother had rolled on their skin before ripping her off the street. The oil had a pleasant aroma. She inhaled again as deeply as she could. Under the oil was the odor of old furniture.

  “What the hell are you doing?” asked DeShawn.

  “Waiting for you to tell me why you think I’m not white. Just what do you think, anyway? My parents are both white. You think I’m adopted?”

  DeShawn let go of a belly laugh. “Adopted!”

  He was laughing at her. She could not imagine why until a memory pushed through. She went back to the day she was listening to her uncle on the phone. “He wants your turf or he will out me. There will be public humiliation and my family will desert me.” Her heart stilled. Now, his words made sense.

  “What do you find so funny?”

  “Funny? I’ll gladly tell you the joke.”

  His grandmother touched his arm. DeShawn turned to look at her. “Be gentle, DeShawn. We have waited a long time for this.”

  DeShawn turned and growled at his grandmother. “Yeah, right, you have waited a lifetime to have your little Gina back. I’ve been here with you every step of my life and you never paid me any attention.” He mocked his grandmother. “Oh, I wonder what little Gina is doing. I hope little Gina is happy. I hope her father is treating her well.”

  “DeShawn, please—”

  “It’s too late for begging, Gran. I’m tired of losing the game to Gina. It’s time for her daddy to pay for his transgressions. I don’t see any reason I should not gain from his sins.”