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

by Brigitta Moon

  “How do you figure all of these events are connected,” asked Nelson. “And why is our post at the club district on there?”

  “Glad you asked.” Billy placed his pointer on the first stop. “Except for this stop here,” his pointer indicated the shootout, “all these events occurred in close proximity to each other. But, although the shooting was outside the circle, the gang members are inside.”

  “What does the coach have to do with all of this?” asked Officer Thorn.

  “After viewing the surveillance tapes supplied to us by Jeffrey Brodsky, we can clearly see that there is no way Mr. Owens had those drugs on his person when he entered the market, and we can see when the exchange was made. The drugs were planted on him without his knowledge.”

  “The shootings and the drug arrest happened in the same market,” said Officer Nelson. “My guess is it is just a coincidence.”

  “A manufactured coincidence,” Romero said.

  “Distraction,” said Copeland. “While we’re all caught up in the arrest of this coach, it gets publicized sending one community into an uproar, and the other well-off community into a false sense of safety.”

  “Right,” agreed Officer Riley. “That gave rise to the riots.”

  “Question,” said Doc. “How does Gina’s kidnapping fit into this whole scheme of things?”

  Billy was professional all the way. No friendly smiles, just the facts. “Gina kind of fell into this whole thing because of Dr. King. He was the last to see her, and from that point on, his name just kept coming up.”

  The chief was nodding. “It all fits together. The drug deaths on King territory. But, explain this next stop—street blockade.”

  Officer Nelson answered. “Each weekend beginning on Thursday we block the club district at each end for an hour.”

  “Who approved this,” asked Chief Randall with his eyebrows scraping together.”

  “We thought you did, Chief,” Officer Nelson said.

  “I never gave any such detail. How exactly was this passed on to you?”

  “Becky—”

  “Why the hell would Becky give you an assignment?”

  Officer Nelson shrugged.

  “As soon as this meeting is over, I will have a sit down with Becky. We can put that stop on hold.” Chief Randall took a few beats to study the next stop. “This stop here, Billy,” the chief pointed to the next to last stop. “What are you inferring by the mayor is uncooperative?”

  “The entire time his niece has been missing he has not given us any assistance. It’s almost as if he doesn’t care if we find her.” Billy scratched at his chin. His goatee was beginning to fill in. “Maybe he doesn’t want us to find her.”

  “That’s ridiculous, Billy,” said Doc. “She’s family, she’s his niece.”

  Romero bit back his anger and held back his knowledge.

  “Do you have something to add, Romero?” asked Chief Randall. “You look like you ate some bad food.”

  Romero sat forward and neutralized his expression. “No, nothing to add, Chief.”

  “Let’s move on. Billy, the floor is yours.”

  “Hold on, Chief,” said Romero. “Am I the only one wondering what’s in the package? Jeeze, it’s sitting in the middle of the table and not one person has mentioned it.”

  The chief ambled over to the table and removed the box. He held it up and shook it. “There’s a bomb in here,” he said narrowing his eyes at each of them.

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  “Nobody is killing anyone around here!” Nina screeched. We’re a family and—”

  DeShawn let go of a sinister laugh. “No, we’re not. We are connected by a bloodline. That’s it. Nothing else. Now, I am a man of my word. If her father does not uphold his end, yes, I will kill her, and think nothing of it.”

  “But why?” Gina asked.” “I had nothing to do with the way our lives turned out. I had no say. I was just a child when all of this started.”

  DeShawn sniffed. “You think you’re so cool, hanging out with a brother and calling him your boyfriend.”

  “John is my boyfriend,” Gina spat at DeShawn.

  “He’s just using you.”

  “You don’t know him. He loves me.”

  DeShawn and Gina locked eyes.

  “You know, Little Gina, maybe he does in some small way. How much do you know about him? You’ve been dating him for what, three years? Do you know anything about the gang he belongs to?”

  “John is not in a gang!”

  “Aw, but he is.” DeShawn cocked his head. “Does he have any tats?”

  Gina turned away.”

  “I’ll take that as a yes. It was a crown with a knife, right?”

  DeShawn ripped his shirt open and pulled it down to expose his Deltoid. Was it like this, Gina. Was his tat like mine?”

  Gina could not resist. She turned to look at the ink on DeShawn’s arm. Her hand flew to her mouth.

  “You see, Gina, Gran, the Kings have been my family. They took care of me, watched my back. They taught me to kill first, ask questions later.”

  Nina fell back on the couch with her mouth hanging open. “This can’t be true.”

  “It is,” said DeShawn. We all have jobs. John’s was to get close to Gina so he could be close to the mayor. Have you ever had him over while your so-called parents were away?”

  Gina ignored him.

  “Of course, you did. The King Pin knows everything thanks to you. And to make sure Daddy was staying in line, John rigged your house up with every listening device there is. How did he do it, Gina, without you knowing?” A mirthless grin spread across DeShawn’s face. “Did you get busy one night? He wore you out and you fell asleep, or did he slip something in your drink, and you passed out? Either way, you helped him.”

  “You’re lying.” Gina wiped at her eyes.

  “No, Gina, it’s all true. And I intend to be the next King Pin. You see, your father is going to help me. He doesn’t want the public to know you’re his daughter. The whole messy story would ruin him. How will it look when the public discovers he used his power to force his secretary into a relationship?” DeShawn knelt down in front of Gina. “Now he has a choice to make—family or money. Which one do you think he will choose? You or the hundreds of thousands he ciphers from the Kings?”

  Gina sat quietly processing everything. She was trying to think back to where John was in the house when they were together. Her head drooped at the memory of her waking up to a note on her pillow.

  “Well, this has been fun, but I have to make a run.” He eyed them both. “But before I go I have to do one little thing. He reached under the couch cushion and came out with a bundle of rope.”

  Nina’s eyes widened. “DeShawn, no, you don’t have to do this.”

  “I do, Gran. I intend to become the King Pin. Do you know how much money that rakes in every year? More than I could spend in a lifetime.”

  Gina launched herself from the couch and ran toward the door. DeShawn took off after her, tackled Gina, pulled her arms behind her, and tied her wrists.

  Nina was yelling, “Stop this nonsense, boy. You’ve lost your mind.”

  DeShawn’s next stop was Nina. He bound her wrists. She was easier than Gina, less fight in her. DeShawn sat her on the couch, tied her feet. He stood up, brushed at his knees.

  “Will you cry over losing me as you much as you cried over my mother? As much as you cried over her?” He pointed at Gina.

  “Please—” Nina started, but her grandson cut her off.

  “No need to beg. I can’t hear you.”

  He clicked the TV on saying, “Wouldn’t want you to get bored.”

  He stepped over Gina on the floor, and winked at his grandmother as he headed for the door.

  “I have a meeting with money.”

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  The group recoiled from the chief. He grimaced.

  “Not an honest to God bomb. It’s figurative.

  A whoosh of breath went th
rough the room.

  “Before we tackle what’s in the package, I want to hear from Doc about the drug.”

  Doc came forward. “No need to introduce myself since we have all met at some time or another over a body.”

  Chuckles flew over the table.

  “The first thing we learned about this drug was its name—Lemon Spice. It is ten times as addicting as Cocaine. The effects are dose related. If the proportions are not properly mixed, the drug becomes unstable making the heart race like Japan’s high-speed bullet train which can get up to 367 miles per hour. Now, that’s fast. “

  More chuckles.

  “But, seriously, what happens to these kids is horrible. No one thinks it’s a heart event because they are kids. They’re too young to have a cardiac arrest. Emergency care is not sought quick enough. By the time the EMS crew arrives, the kid’s heart has worn down and stopped. Not one has been successfully revived.”

  Doc noticed Romero’s eyes shift toward Billy.

  “Thanks to Billy we were able to secure the drug and examine it first-hand. He was lucky because his was a shared dose. And that goes for the girl too. Because the girl ingested part and then gave Billy what was left through a kiss, it lessened the effects. Granted, he did indeed experience some of the effects brought on by the climb of his heart rate like dizziness and trouble breathing, but once he was out of the club and exposed to fresh air, and given Narcan, he was back to normal. His treatment was rendered in a timely manner.”

  Billy said, “The candy is handed out as free samples. It’s their way of getting these people hooked. Once they’re hooked they will do anything to get money for this drug. All they have to do is come back anytime and ask for the King.”

  Romero fished around in his pockets for a toothpick. “Now, you see, this King thing bothers me. Every step of the way King is there. Maybe we should question him again.”

  “No grounds,” said the chief. Our men have been on him twenty-four-seven and have come up with nothing.”

  “We’re running out of time,” Romero reminded the chief.

  “Yes, time is of the essence. So, let’s get to the package. The contents of this small box are very large. Arrests are coming. So, let’s take this one step at a time.”

  Copeland said, “Chief, I’m on pins and needles wondering if Gina’s eye is in there.”

  “Don’t worry about that. There were no body parts. The box contained two audiotapes. Since my computer only has a CD ROM and no slot for an audiotape, I had to wait for Geek Guy.”

  Romero laughed. “Did you scare him again?”

  “I did. Just as the information on the Coach Jackson case was classified, so is this, and this is worst. One of our own is involved.”

  Each person began looking from face to face.

  “Don’t worry. None of you are involved, “Chief Randall said.

  Relieved breaths filled the room,

  “Sadly, the contents implicate someone we have trusted and at the same time despised.”

  “Jeeze, don’t say it’s the mayor.” Romero bowed his head and shook it side to side in disgust.

  “Romero’s correct. These tapes are from Mayor Harden’s home and his cell phone. The person who was able to obtain these tapes is very resourceful.”

  “Any ideas?” asked Romero.

  The chief stuffed his hands in his pant pockets and began to pace. “What bothers me is what this person who sent the box is getting out of this. We were told to expect a body part, but what we got is two audiotapes implicating the mayor. The scary thing about this, is not knowing what is about to come around the corner.”

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  Mayor Harden held his breath as the intruder pressed the cold steel of the gun’s muzzle into his temple.

  “What’s your next move? How do you plan to regain my trust?”

  Mayor Harden considered himself a strong man, not a man of tears and pleading like some helpless woman. He had already lowered himself to begging, but tears...no, he would not let them come to this party.

  “Are you going to shoot me?” Mayor Harden stared into the man’s eyes, regretting it as soon as their eyes locked, feeling as if he had just confronted a wild beast.

  “You don’t know me. You only know of me and my money. But, do you know of my power? My name rings of supremacy. I am the King they all seek. I give them the pleasures they crave. I make them fly, make them feel that nothing is more potent than them.”

  “Deaths have been occurring,” Mayor Harden said. “I didn’t bargain for that.”

  “Yes, you did. Where there are illegal drugs that bring the wealth you seek, there is death. There is war, and there is betrayal.”

  The King slid the gun from the Mayor’s temple to his eye. “Will it make a difference if you lose this eye. You have two, and still you don’t see clearly.”

  Mayor Harden sat stock still. His mind was working. He had to come up with something that would satisfy this man. The King’s money had given the mayor the life he had become accustomed to living. How would he ever go back to living on the less than two hundred thousand dollars a year?

  Mayor Harden found his voice. “I’m in a tight spot.”

  “Hold that thought,” The King said. “I’m going need to sit down to listen to your pity party.” He sat on the side of the chaise lounge with his elbows resting on his knees and both hands wrapped around the pistol.

  Mayor Harden registered how long the barrel of the pistol was. There was a silencer attached to the muzzle. No one would hear the death shot, not a neighbor or lovers at the park.

  “The problem is that no matter what I do, I lose. If I don’t give this blackmailer what he wants, he’ll make my secrets public. I’ll have to step down. If I do what he wants, you’ll kill me.” Mayor Harden looked the King square in the eyes and asked, “What would a man of your power do in this situation?”

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  Gina listened to DeShawn’s footfalls as he descended the stairs. She heard the door open and close.

  Nina said, “What are we going to do?”

  “Shhh,” whispered Gina. “It may be a trick. He might come back.”

  The two women stayed quiet, listening. One minute, two minutes, three.

  “I think he’s gone,” Nina said.

  “Me too. He didn’t tie my feet. I was praying the whole time that he didn’t notice.”

  Gina rolled around the floor side to side with her hands tied behind her trying to get to her feet. Finally, she was able to rock herself up. The full extent of their predicament had not dawned on Gina until she reached Nina. Both their hands were tied behind their backs. Gina studied their situation. She was thinking if only they could position themselves back to back they could work on each other’s knots.

  “See if you can lie on your side with your hands towards me,” Gina told Nina.

  Nina tried swinging her feet upward to get them on the couch. She swung again and again, but her feet didn’t land the couch.

  “Stop, stop,” Gina said. “Try standing. If you can stand we can position ourselves back to back.”

  After a few tries, Nina was able to stand, but her ankles were crossed and tied. She couldn’t walk.

  Gina said, “Waddle, twist, and turn until you are facing the couch. We just need to get to each other’s wrists.

  Nina twisted and turned like she was dancing to music at a club until her back was to Gina. Gina backed up to Nina until she could feel her fingers.

  “I’ll work on yours first,” Gina said. “When your hands are free you can untie your feet and then untie my hands.”

  “Okay.”

  Gina was working as best she could, trying to get her fingers into the knot to loosen it. Familiar music played on the TV. Gina recognized the tune. It was Breaking News. Her heart fell into her stomach wondering what she was about to hear. The news caster talked about the weather. It was going to be cloudy tomorrow with a fifty percent chance of rain.

  “Sounds like our for
ecast,” said Nina. “Right now, our chances of getting out of this is fifty-fifty.”

  Gina said, “I don’t understand how you couldn’t see all the anger and hate he harbored.” She was breathing hard trying to free the knot and free her own anger. “And why didn’t you come to me earlier and tell me who you were, and who I am?”

  Nina held her head down. Her heart was heavy as if an anchor was hanging on, dragging it down to the depths of the pain she had felt when her daughter and granddaughter were ripped from her life. “I wanted you to be at an age where you would understand and be able to make your own choices.”

  Gina’s words rocked out as she struggled with the rope. “What about high school? Wasn’t that old enough?”

  “I didn’t want to interrupt your life. You had a good family who could give you everything you wanted. With me you would have struggled. Kids would have picked on you.”

  “Why? Because I’m not completely black like my mother, or totally white like my uncl...father?”

  “I gave you a home where you would fit in completely.”

  “No, you took away my family. You left me with a man who can’t even bear to think of me as his daughter.” She rocked back and forth, side to side, working out the knot. “A man who took me in to keep his secret silent.” Although, tears dripped down Gina’s face, she kept working. “A man so sinister as to pass me off as his brother’s daughter to his wife.”

  The knot gave. Nina wiggled her hands free. She rubbed her wrist to get the circulation going.

  “Stand in front of me so I can untie your hands,” Nina told Gina.

  “Untie your feet,” Gina said.”

  “I can’t. If I bend over, I’ll get dizzy, fall, and crack my skull.”

  “Well, sit down first, then you can do it without bloodshed.”

  Nina wiggled herself to stand in front of the couch. She sat down and began working on the ropes.

  “Look,” Gina said, “It’s Aunt Renee.”

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