Detective Tumbler and the Man in Brown (Detective Tumbler Trilogy Book 2)

by Jason Balistreri

  “Everyone keeps asking me if there’s anything they can do for me. They say don’t hesitate to ask. I know they mean well but what exactly can they do for me? I just want my mom healthy and no one can give me that.”

  “Sometimes people don’t know what to say, so they offer help.”

  “I know they’re trying to be helpful, but there is nothing they can do. There’s no bringing her back from what she’s got and that’s what I need, I need her back the way she was before. I don’t need flowers, neither does she, I don’t need food, I just need her to be well.”

  “If you need someone to talk to or if you just need to vent, I’ll be there for you.”

  “I appreciate that, I don’t have friends anymore. When someone leaves a life behind like I did, those people that you thought were friends, they all steer clear.”

  “I can relate, when I left the force, I only had one friend left, unless if you count my ex-wife. And now, after the events with Carmen, I still only have that one friend. Well, maybe now I have two.”

  “You have two now. When my mom comes in, this is the hospital she stays at.”

  “So, you’re familiar with this place?”

  “Intimately, unfortunately.”

  “That could come in handy.”

  “How so?”

  “If they try to keep me for too long, I may need your help in getting out.”

  “If it comes to that, I believe I can be of assistance.” The doctor knocks on the door and enters.

  “I didn’t know you had a visitor,” he says.

  “I’ll be going,” Chester says. “If you need anything, here’s where to reach me,” Chester says as he writes his phone number down on his card, he sets it on the table.

  “Thanks,” Marshall says as Chester leaves.

  “Detective Spoiler has security detail watching your door. You must be important,” the doctor says.

  “He’s overprotective,” Marshall explains.

  “I’m Doctor Huggins, I could tell you that the bullet to your abdomen moved an inch to the right, would’ve hit your spine, that shot to the head a few inches to the left could’ve killed you instantly but I would rather focus on the details of what happened and not the hypotheticals. I just hope that you realize that you are a lucky man.”

  “That’s debatable.”

  “Nonetheless, the internal stitches will disappear once you’ve healed, the stitches on the outside of your abdomen will leave a scar, as will the wound you took to the shoulder, the bullet lodged into the bone. Your head will heal quickest, it will hardly be noticeable once it’s healed, you may have a small streak where hair won’t grow.”

  “It’s a good thing I wear a hat then.”

  “It’s a welcome sign that you are able to keep a sense of humor through all of this. We will monitor your diet once you start eating solid foods again.”

  “How long will I be here, doctor?”

  “To the point, you will be in our care for at least a week, possibly more. You cannot leave the bed, do not attempt to undress your wounds, that right arm must remain immobile. I did notice that you had been shot before, a few times actually.”

  “Old scars doctor.’

  “I’m sure they have a story too.”

  “They do but I’m not going to go there today. Any chance I can get my hands on those bullets you removed?”

  “Our policy is to not release those to the patients. Detective Spoiler has requested them for his inspection though.”

  “He’ll hand them over to me.”

  “Whatever agreement you to have, it is not my business. Should you need anything, hitting the buzzer will signal the nurse. Our main objective is to manage your pain.”

  Detective Spoiler enters Marshall’s recovery room about an hour later. “As soon as I got the call, I feared the worse,” Jack admits.

  “I thought it would be a fitting death.”

  “Who was it?”

  “I didn’t recognize him, I saw his face, the shooter that is, I didn’t see the driver. It was a black Cadillac, run the plates.”

  “What was the number?”

  “IXT-74J, the Cadillac was a 2012 model. The gunman was in his thirties, pale face, dark hair.”

  “I’ll get a sketch artist in to see you when you feel up to it. I’ve got two of my guys watching your door in shifts, only friends or family are allowed in.”

  “I want the shell casings and I want the bullets that were in me.”

  “Whatever you want, I’ll take care of it. We just make sure that it stays between us.”

  “Of course.”

  “I hope you don’t mind that I let Chester in?”

  “No, I don’t, I was happy to see him.”

  “Is there anyone else you want me to put on the list?”

  “Besides family? If Guy Solomon wants to see me, let him through. That’s about it. I don’t know what it says about me that I can count on one hand the people that would visit me in this condition.”

  “It’s not in your nature to trust people; you only let a select few in. This is how you’ve chosen to live your life. I can’t say that it’s a good thing or a bad thing, all I can say is that it may be time that you start to trust more people. You’re not in this alone, you know?”

  “It feels like I am most of the time.”

  “You need anything, you let me know. Get your rest, Marshall.”

  Marshall sleeps for a long time, he sees Guy Solomon sitting beside his bed when he awakes. “How are you holding up?”

  “They tried to turn me into Swiss cheese.”

  “Did you get a look at them?”

  “Yes, I gave the details to Detective Spoiler.”

  “They will try to kill you because of what this case means to the city. The conviction of Barnabus Shield will precipitate the fall of the Shield family and a family like that doesn’t go down quietly. Many people have profited from that family and their power.”

  “You’re the only other clean man in a city full of scoundrels.”

  “I’m not the only one, that’s one of the things I have to share with you. Chester’s mother isn’t going to make it long. She’s off chemo and her cancer is advanced, she’s the only family he’s ever known. He’ll need someone in his corner besides me.”

  “I’ll help him out, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “He’s a grown man, just be there for him. That’s part of the reason why I set this up in the first place, the two of you meeting. You think you lost everything when your partner died, I read up on you, it wasn’t the only partner you lost but this one stung the worst.”

  “They all make a man hurt.”

  “The point is you think you’ve lost everything, but when his mother dies, Chester literally will, you should be there to ease the burden.”

  “I was going to be anyway, I think he’ll be a good fit as long as he keeps up.”

  “What are you after now? You’re in no condition to continue that case you’re on, take the time to recover and rest.”

  “The longer I rest, the more people he kills.”

  “A man of your means will catch him; the matter of a week should not frighten you.”

  “I do have a question for you though.”

  “Sure, go ahead.”

  “How did he escape from that gang he was in?”

  “I never asked him, I just checked in on whether he still had ties to them before I employed him and he didn’t.”

  “You know once you get involved in that life, you can’t get out, at least not easily.”

  “People change Marshall, he has changed, he is not the man he once was.”

  “I don’t believe that people truly change. I will not judge him; I just want to know how he got out.”

  “Dig up what you can if it makes you feel better.”

  “I will take him on as my partner, regardless. If what you say is true, we will be leaving soon.”

  “Not too soon, you’re going to be here for awh
ile.” Marshall smiles, he looks out the window at the sleet coming down, he turns back to Guy Solomon in his light beige suit and purple tie.

  “I appreciate you coming by.”

  “What kind of a friend would I be if I didn’t come by to see you?”

  “I for one, never could stand hospitals, try to avoid them any chance I get. If you didn’t come by, I would have understood.”

  “Mr. Tumbler just remember that you’re not alone, I need you here to testify for the trial in the spring.”

  “I will be there.”

  “If you need anything, you have my number, don’t hesitate to call.” Marshall watches the sleet again after Guy Solomon leaves, he feels the desire in his bones, he knows he has to get started soon.

  The next day Chester returns, he gives Marshall a cheeseburger. “I wasn’t sure if you were allowed solid foods or not,” Chester says as he digs in the bag.

  “They told me not yet, but if I ever start doing everything the doctor tells me, well

  I wouldn’t be me.”

  “My mother wants to go at home.”

  “How long do you think she’ll last?”

  “Hospice is there, they say a few days.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, can I trust you to do something for me?”

  “Sure, what do you need?”

  “Can you get the items on this list?”

  “Yes, when do you need them?”

  “As soon as possible, I will come with you to visit your mother, but then we’ll have to begin.”

  “I can’t leave her.”

  “I don’t expect you to, I can start off after him and you can meet up with me if we have to.”

  “Am I going to get in trouble for smuggling the things on this list in here?”

  “No, of course not, just make sure the clothes are on top.”

  The next morning the day shift officer looks in on Marshall, he sees the bed looks full but he can tell, something is off, he finds pillows tied together and a mask on the top one, then he sees the note on the chair. He calls Detective Spoiler and says, “Marshall Tumbler is gone.”

  “What do you mean he’s gone? Did you see him leave?”

  “The only person that’s left that room is the doctor.”

  “Who came in then?”

  “No one came in while I was here, I can check with Paulie on the night shift and see who came in.”

  “Do that, I’m on my way.”

  “Paulie, who was the last person to visit Mr. Tumbler?” Detective Spoiler asks.

  “Chester Swanson, he was on the approved list.”

  “The detective is gone.”

  “I checked on him before I left that morning, no one left that room besides Chester Swanson at eight o’clock last night.”

  Detective Spoiler arrives at the hospital, “God damn it, you two morons let him get out.”

  Detective Spoiler looks around the room, he sees the window is still locked; he picks up the note off of the chair and unfolds the yellow paper. “Don’t come looking for me, I’ve gone hunting, Marshall.”

  “What time did Chester Swanson arrive?” Detective Spoiler asks.

  “Eight o’clock last night,” the day watch responds.

  “Paulie confirmed Marshall was here at bed check?”

  “Yes, Detective Tumbler was there at lights out.”

  “And he said no one left?”

  “Not while he was on.”

  “The doctor was the only one who left.”

  “Yes, the doctor left on my shift this morning.”

  “He left his hospital smock behind. You two idiots are a disgrace to the force, he played you.”

  “How so?”

  “Only one man left, think about it.”

  “That was the same doctor who came by before.”

  “No, you thought it was.”

  “He looked just like him.”

  “You got taken by a pro.”

  “Do you want an APB out on Chester Swanson?”

  “Why, it was Marshall’s idea, you tell no one of this, you hear? It’s an embarrassment. All you two had to do was keep an eye on him.”

  “You told us to make sure no one gets in except the people on the list, I didn’t let anyone else in and if that was him that walked out that was one hell of a disguise.”

  “He was the one that walked out all right, let the hospital know he left,” Detective Spoiler orders as he shakes his head.

  “Why is this man so important to you?” Chester asks as he drives Marshall home.

  “I had a chance to catch him once and he got away,” Marshall explains.

  “There’s gotta be more to it than that.”

  “He is connected to Carmen, who was in turn connected to Parrotta, then there’s Jackson.”

  “A circle of serial killers, like some dystopian family.”

  “It’s family that concerns me. The man in brown has built one, clinging to the backwoods, living off the grid. His influence will only spread, I’m a Missouri boy and I can’t have that.”

  “I’m a Missouri boy too.”

  “I know, that’s why you will accompany me on this adventure. We will track him down, he may be too sophisticated to leave any traces but we can find him through this family he has amassed. Although he may teach them otherwise, they will slip up somewhere, they will leave tracks, and that will allow us to hunt him.”

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “Because it’s how I nearly caught him the first time, through one of his followers.”

  “He’ll be in his element, wherever we find him, he’ll know the terrain.”

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself. If we reach that point, there are many ways to trap a man.”

  “If I was the one being hunted in the woods, I would be easy to catch.”

  “For the man in brown, it will be the opposite, though I don’t believe he’d be foolish enough to let us chase him into a city, we could possibly lure him into one but, well, we must begin the journey first.” Chester drops Marshall off at his house, Marshall looks at him for a moment, he removes the scrubs and the disguise.

  “How many times have you done this?”

  “Escaped a hospital or gone in disguise?”

  “How about both?”

  “First time escaping a hospital, never had a reason to before, as for disguises well there’s too many times to count, pretending to be someone else is part of the repertoire.”

  “I’m not sure I’ll be able to do that.”

  “Sure you will, it becomes easier every time. Take care of your mother, I will prepare for our departure, if you need anything just let me know.”

  Chester thinks about telling him that he can’t do it, he has to be with his mother, he has to let the detective start out alone, there isn’t another way, Chester drives to his mother’s house, he watches the yellow porch light and says hello to the hospice care as he kneels beside her bed.

  “Momma, how you feeling?”

  “About the same, I can’t keep going like this, they keep me on the morphine, I go in and then I go out, this ain’t no way to live, I don’t feel any pain anymore but this isn’t how people are supposed to live. I decided to stop doing the chemo because I needed all of this to end.”

  “Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asks.

  “I’m not eating, I can’t remember things, it comes down to quality of life.”

  “I want you to fight, I don’t want you to quit.”

  “But you have to respect my choice. We all, if we’re lucky, get to choose how we want to go out; I don’t want to prolong the inevitable. Some people never get to make that choice.”

  “I just want you around as long as possible but I have to respect your decision,” he says. Over the last two weeks, he had watched her body lose all muscle mass, hospice was called to care for her, she hadn’t eaten for a full fourteen days, all nutrients were given intravenously, she would dry heave four or five times a day, they had her sign
the paperwork declaring that she didn’t want to be resuscitated. He was with her every day after work, she always asked him about his day and he always told her it went well, her skin is ashen now, her vitality is gone, he is there to hold her hand, he knows she is going to die soon.

  “Be a good man,” she says.

  “I’ll try,” he responds.

  “Trying isn’t enough; you just do and be brave.”

  “I will, I’m sorry for everything I’ve done.”

  “You don’t need to apologize. You didn’t do anything to harm me. You’re my boy, now a big man; I just regret I’ll never see your children.”

  “I may never have children.”

  “One day you’ll meet a girl, then you will. If you ever see a girl in a blue dress, never let her pass by silently.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I’m giving you advice to help you; a man shouldn’t pass a woman in a blue dress without talking to her.”

  “I’m not ready for you to go.”

  “You are destined for great things Chester, I’m proud of you.”

  “I don’t believe that I am, I don’t much believe in destiny.”

  “One day you’ll look back on what I told you and you’ll realize I’m right.”

  “I can’t lose you.”

  “This is what life is about, we learn to let go. If we don’t learn, well life makes us do it anyway.”

  “I’m not ready to let go.”

  “No one said letting go was easy. That’s the hardest part Chester, we don’t choose when. Life is strange, beautiful, and full of suffering too, but it bestows its gifts and then it makes us leave them all behind. You’re my gift to the world, and if you don’t believe in yourself then know that I believed in you, always have,” she says and she is asleep again.

  “Sir, a word when you’re ready,” the hospice caretaker says. Chester goes up to the living room; he hears the stairs creak as he lumbers his way up. “She doesn’t have much time; her pulse was shallow before you arrived. She woke up when you came in but that was the first time she woke up in twelve hours, you can still talk to her, she can still hear you. I’ll leave you two alone.”

  Chester kneels beside her again, he looks at her bony fingers, he holds them and he kisses her on the cheek, then on the forehead. “I love you, mom,” he says and he is there until she passes quietly in the night. He wipes his eyes with his sleeve; he kisses her on the forehead after she’s gone.