Forever Haunt

by Adam Carpenter

  “Execution. That’s a strong word,” Tolliver said.

  “Tell me I’m wrong.”

  He didn’t. In fact, he didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he said, “What else?”

  “I’ll put it in the form of a question. Have you ever heard the term Blue Death?”

  His face betrayed him. “Oh, Jimmy, you know too much,” Tolliver said.

  “I’d only know too much if I knew everything. But clearly you know it. Your face paled.”

  “Again, tell me what you know.”

  Jimmy steeled himself. Took another sip. It tasted rancid on his tongue. So did the truth. “I first encountered the name Blue Death last fall. A woman, name of Seetha Assan, had been held hostage inside what could only be called a chop shop, in Ozone Park, Queens. A…shall we say, informant? He helped me uncover the warehouse, and it was there I first saw the imposing symbol for the Blue Death. A gold shield with a stripe of red down the middle. I saw it again a few months later, inside another chop shop on Manhattan’s west side. That place was run by a neighborhood thug. Mickey Dean.”

  “Mickey Dean,” Tolliver said. He looked like he was tasting the name on his tongue and wanted to spit it out. “That’s a name from the past. And not a good one. Detective Dean’s son. He left town. It was either that or face arrest. Dean intervened. He wasn’t without influence.”

  “Yeah, well, he came back last fall. He killed my cousin. Nearly killed me. Someone else decided Mickey knew too much, or had messed up too much. I’m not certain of the chain of events. But hours after he and I fought on a pier along the Hudson and I left him tied to a lamppost for the police to find, someone came by and put a bullet in his brain. Death equals silence.”

  Tolliver nodded. Gave Ace a look, one of grave concern.

  “Something I’m missing?” Jimmy asked.

  “Johnny rarely talks about his days in the NYPD. Especially now. It’s all about his health.”

  “Sorry if this is a strain. But Detective Tolliver, I’ve come so far. Not in miles. In clues.”

  “I think you can call me Johnny. We’re all brethren, right?”

  “I’m not a cop. Ace, were you a cop once?”

  Ace laughed. “No, Jimmy. I was an interior designer. Typical gay boy. He’s the tough guy in the relationship. What he meant was…”

  Jimmy’s face flushed red. He knew what they meant. They had their gaydar on.

  “My being gay took you by surprise, I could see that,” Tolliver said. “But not for the usual reason.”

  “Just wasn’t expecting it.”

  “It was freeing. Leaving the NYPD after twenty-five years of service. They had no hold on me any longer. I took my pension and allowed myself to fall in love with the man I wanted to be with.”

  They were getting off topic but Jimmy was curious. “How did you do it? Survive?”

  “Jimmy, I lived during the time of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ Sure, that was a military ban, but we along the blue line recognized it as well. If I didn’t speak of it, then they didn’t. It’s all changed now. Everyone thinks they are entitled to know everything, including who you are sleeping with, man or woman. Especially if it’s a man.”

  He paused to take a drink from his whiskey. Jimmy watched as the man winced after letting the heat burn his throat.

  “Ah, that’s better. Look, Jimmy, clearly Ace and I have no issue with homosexuality. Hell, it’s one of the reasons we came to White Pine. While a lot of people go south for the sun and warmth, we found a community here amidst the snow and cold. White Pine is very gay friendly. An article about the firefighters first attracted our interest in moving here. They even posed for a calendar. You’d be surprised at the stories up here.”

  Jimmy allowed himself a smile. “I didn’t think I was that obvious.”

  “You’re not,” Ace said. “But you’re too cute to be straight.”

  Jimmy actually laughed, catching the attention of Sally and her gang at the bar. Ace waved them off. “Thanks for the levity. We were getting pretty serious.”

  “And we will again,” Tolliver said. “So, Jimmy, what’s his name?”

  “Uh, it’s complicated.”

  “That hesitation says everything. He’s a cop.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I was a damn good detective and a damn good gay man. I learned to read eyes. They mirror what your soul hides. Your entire world, whether you like it or not, is wrapped up in the NYPD. Your father, your lover, your past, your future.”

  They were powerful words. Because they were filled with truth. “He’s a captain. Problem is, his father’s a lieutenant at One Police Plaza. Old school.”

  “Frisano,” Tolliver said.

  That took Jimmy by surprise, but only briefly did he allow it to show. He realized he was dealing with a man with long arms that still stretched to the NYPD. Despite his distance, despite his illness, career cops knew to keep up their contacts. Ralphie did the same. If only Tolliver had been closer, Jimmy thought he might have sought his counsel sooner. But he was here, now.

  “You’re good,” Jimmy said. “Got any advice?”

  “Two bits of advice. One, don’t let anyone tell you who you can love.”

  “The other?”

  “Watch yourself. Sal Frisano is an ambitious, strong-willed man. He was always good at playing the political game. He’s charmed many a commissioner over the years, mayors too. It’s why he can basically write his own ticket down at One Police Plaza. But I didn’t know about his son. That can’t sit well with him.”

  “He’s been surprisingly…supportive. Though he’s shoved Frank into the closet a lot.”

  “No doubt. Now that we’ve opened the topic of Sal Frisano, let’s get back to the Blue Death issue. They are not unrelated.”

  Words spoken aloud that instilled a chill inside Jimmy. “Is Sal part of it?”

  “Hard to say. Rumors have abounded over the years that he at least knew about it. But no one talks of what his connection could be. Corruption is rampant in the NYPD, like anywhere. So is fear. But Blue Death is far more. I stayed out of it. I knew better. To survive.”

  “Something my father didn’t do. He’s dead because I think he knew about the Blue Death. He wouldn’t join. So instead he was targeted. If you learned too much, you were disposed of. And if my father did know what was going on—stolen items, fencing, felons being released because of a lack of evidence, money laundering, drugs, a litany of crimes from the men who pledged to uphold them. If he spoke out against it…he was a marked man, just as I said. He was executed. He was going to expose the Blue Death for what it was.”

  “That’s one possibility,” Tolliver said.

  “I’m on the right track, though, yes? As to what the Blue Death is? They eliminate the cops who won’t go along with their scheme. They kill their own. Like a crocodile eating its young. It’s devilish. A broken code.”

  “Except that might not be the entire story concerning Joey.”

  “It has to be. My father knew of the Blue Death, and he was killed because he threatened to expose them. That’s the real reason the case was suspended. Why it wasn’t solved. And if that’s the case, then this underground society of bad cops has been around for at least fifteen years. Or longer, decades.”

  “Jimmy, what prompted you to come see me?”

  It was a good question. A probing question. “Ralphie put it in my head.”

  “Ralphie Henderson. Your father’s ex-partner. Glad to know he’s still around.”

  Jimmy said nothing. He didn’t want to get off topic again. He leaned in. “Ralphie told me a story about Lieutenant Lawrence Dean and his family, specifically his daughter, Cassie. She was fifteen when she jumped off the roof of her building and killed herself.”

  “You have been a busy boy,” Tolliver said. “Ace, this kid knows his way around clues.”

  Ace raised his glass. “Good looks and intuition. A nice combination.”

  Jimmy ignored the
compliment. “Ralphie said Cassie accused him of sexually assaulting her. He also said it wasn’t true. She’d manipulated the situation to piss off her father. Except part of it was true, because she had been abused. Mickey was the guilty party. Dean probably didn’t want to believe the awfulness was coming from within. Didn’t want to burden his wife with the truth about their family. Ralphie became an easy scapegoat.”

  “Except he wasn’t.”

  “My father took the fall, didn’t he? He saved Ralphie by saying he was the one who abused Casssie.”

  “We all worked Midtown North at the time. We looked out for each other.”

  “Meaning you buried the truth.”

  “Meaning we kept the truth within our walls. If word got out, Joey McSwain’s reputation would be ruined. Yes, Jimmy, your father took the fall for Ralphie. He protected his partner, a man who wasn’t guilty to begin with. But truth back then was secondary to preserving integrity.”

  “But why didn’t that come out during the investigation into my father’s shooting?”

  There was silence at the table. Tolliver turned to Ace, and then gazed back at Jimmy. “Oh, Jimmy, the entire investigation into your father’s death was a masquerade. There was never any real attempt to solve it. Detective Dean was in charge of it. He closed it down, sent me to pay that conciliatory visit to your mother. But I offered her a choice that day. I could pursue it on the sly, keep her abreast of developments.”

  “Why didn’t you follow through?”

  “Because Maggie told me to end the investigation. It was your mother’s decision.”

  Jimmy leaned back against his chair. The world spun around him. Was this the truth his mother had refused to tell him days ago? What did she know about everything, and why would she choose to let her husband lay in a grave, his rest unsettled, his death unjustified? Jimmy felt a chill settled inside him. It wouldn’t leave. It wasn’t the snow.

  “Jimmy, I’ve told you what I know. I think it’s time for me to return home. To live out my own destiny, for however long that is.”

  “I’m sorry, Johnny. Ace, I thank you. Both of you. For welcoming me. For talking to me.”

  “You’re welcome to stay the night, if you want. We have room,” Ace said.

  Jimmy shook his head. “No. Thank you, though. I need to move forward. Get back. My father was killed, but I don’t know if it was professional, because he knew too much about the Death Blue, or if it was because of the Cassie Dean situation.”

  Jonathan Tolliver finished his drink before he said, “Perhaps it’s both, Jimmy McSwain. Look for connections.”

  The two men rose from their seats, Ace helping Johnny to his feet. Jimmy stood also. Out of respect.

  “Thank you both of you. For being accommodating. For your respect.”

  Tolliver smiled before placing his quaking hand against his cheek, his touch welcoming, warm. “Find your answers. But after that, can I offer you one piece of advice?”

  “I feel like you’ve been doing that all day.”

  “Embrace your own happiness, Jimmy.” Then Tolliver turned toward Ace, his lover, his husband, his caretaker, took hold of the man’s hand and held it tight. “You can either go through the daily struggles, alone, or have someone special by your side. You just have to always remember what’s most important.”

  “And what’s that?” Jimmy asked.

  “That before death, there’s such a thing called life.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Everyone had their own shelf life, you had no say in how it began, or how it ended. That’s how Jimmy felt after watching retired detective Jonathan Tolliver hobble out of Sally’s Bar. He knew his death was inevitable. He wished the man comfort as the disease would wreak its awful course. He stayed at Sally’s for one more beer before venturing outdoors, into the cold air of the Adirondacks. Taking as deep a breath as his lungs could absorb, he exhaled with a life-affirming chill. He had to think about his next step. He still had time to drive back to the city; it was only four o’clock in the afternoon. But he’d been driving most of the day. Had he earned a respite? A night away, to think about all he’d learned.

  What he needed first was sustenance. A bite to eat. He’d noticed a diner along his travels, and soon he was back in his car, searching it out on the main drag through the village. He stumbled upon Shiner’s Diner, parked, and entered the quiet little restaurant that, at this hour, wasn’t busy. Jimmy wondered if the places in White Pine were ever busy. He took up a seat at the counter, old school style. A young, handsome waiter approached him. Probably five eleven, thick, wavy brown hair.

  “Hi, what can I get you?”

  “Water, for starters. A menu?”

  “Sure. We have everything. Name it, we’ll make it.” The man smiled knowingly at Jimmy while setting down a plastic tumbler of water in front of him.

  “Uh, okay. Make it simple. I’ll just take a burger. Medium. Cheddar. Bacon.”

  “A man after my own heart.”

  Jimmy sipped at his water while he waited. Watched the cute young guy in action. Just like Tolliver and Ace, Jimmy had his own gaydar and he sensed this one fit the bill. To be single again, Jimmy thought. Though did he consider Frisano his boyfriend in the traditional sense, and vice versa? Not like their relationship had been fully defined; they had never used the word exclusive. But he wasn’t looking for a distraction out of town, no matter how appealing—and seemingly available—the guy appeared to be. He noticed a few of the patrons looking disapprovingly at their interaction.

  “Burger’ll be right up. You new in town, or just passing through?”

  “Passing through,” Jimmy said.

  “I’m Noah. Usually a line cook, but we’re short staffed today. So I have to wait.”

  “You’re doing a good job. Everyone’s been very welcoming in White Pine.”

  “Where are you from?”

  “New York, Manhattan.”

  “Hmm, glamorous. I’ve spent my whole life here. Just me and the Mama.” He sent off that flirty smile again. “I’m sure your burger is ready, let me serve you.”

  If it was a double entendre, Jimmy chose to ignore it. No sense encouraging the guy. Cute as he was.

  Jimmy’s inner thoughts gave way to sudden action. His phone was ringing.

  Grabbing his iPhone from his pocket, he saw the caller ID. Maggie. He’d never considered not answering a call from his mother, but after his revealing talks first with Ralphie, and now with Tolliver, hesitation built within him. Common sense won out over misplaced emotion. He excused himself and ran outside, privacy winning out over local interest.

  “Hey, Ma.”

  “Jimmy Joseph McSwain, where in the world are you?”

  She rarely used his full name. She rarely used that tone. “I’m on a case. Out of town.”

  “Well get your butt back in town. Meaghan’s in labor.”

  Damn, he thought. He was five hours away, at best. She could deliver by then.

  “Look, Ma, I’m sorry. This was important.”

  “I’ll tell you something, Jimmy, and you can think about it on your drive back. It’s okay to investigate the past if you must, but not to live in it, not at the sake of what’s going on in the world now, today. Meaghan is scared enough. We’re headed to Roosevelt. I’ll see you when I see you. Oh, there’s Mallory, thank God one of you is here…”

  Before he could respond, she hung up.

  Whoa, he thought. She’d never lashed out at him like that. Not even when he was a partying teenager who stayed out later than his curfew. Not when he’d once gotten so drunk he’d puked his guts out. That time she’d just smiled; as he lay on the bathroom floor he’d not only earned it, he’d deserved it.

  The sudden chill he felt now was not from standing out in the empty parking lot of Sally’s Bar, in a village called White Pine, which two days ago he’d never heard of. Now it was a place that had shifted him. He felt lonely, he felt selfish. Part of him wanted to excuse himself by saying his cas
e was about helping the family achieve justice. But that was a poor defense. Wasn’t the case really about helping the lost boy he’d become that tragic day?

  Just then he remembered his food order. Dashing into Shiner’s, he saw his plate waiting for him, fries steaming and cheese melting off the meat. His stomach grumbled from hunger. He needed the food but felt an inner need to hit the road. Noah appeared, a ready smile on his face.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Uh, no. I need to get this to go. Gotta run.”

  “Sorry to hear. But sure. Come back soon.”

  When ready, Jimmy grabbed his doggie bag, paid, and went to his car, started the engine. Thankfully it turned over. Not knowing how the winter weather would affect this old scrap of metal, he nodded upward with thanks. And then he hit the road. Anxiety rode shotgun while endless highway stretched out before him. Was it only just last night that he’d spoken with Mallory, gotten her assurance she wouldn’t leave for London until after the baby was born, and now here he was, failing on his own promise to Meaghan. Not due for two more weeks, technically, but in truth, he hadn’t even considered her situation when he impulsively made the decision to journey north to see Tolliver.

  It was a long ride, of course. Like the road just kept getting longer, even if the mileage numbers along the side of the road steadily decreased. The world was toying with him; he might be getting closer but not so close that he was in the clear. It gave him a chance to compartmentalize his life, his cases.

  First matter: The Ramirez Case. If he was smart, he would recuse himself of it. He’d gotten nothing but the runaround from the people he was supposedly helping. Carmen was in hiding, and Sonny was supposedly still in the clutches of Mr. Wu-Tin. Ranuel was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Without police protection, there was only one ending for him, and it wasn’t a good one. At some point along the drive, Jimmy decided he would turn the flash drive over to the authorities. A child had been abducted by a mastermind criminal. Jimmy was in over his head. He couldn’t guarantee the Ramirezes’ safety. It’s what he should have done all along, and he wondered why he’d insisted on handling it himself? Was it Carmen’s plea not to involve the police, or had it been Jimmy’s hero complex, he the only one able to save a boy whose father had run off?