Moonlight Avenue

by Gerri Hill

  “I don’t know, Rylee.”

  “She might have a point,” Finn said. “Maybe he did get freaked out with the murders. So he wants to pay his debt off and get out. What do they do? They lose their clients, they lose money. Or more importantly, they lose leverage. The debts here, that’s chump change compared to the money that’s being moved. These clients—or members—were picked for this little club for a reason. And it may not be only that. All of these guys probably know too much, whether they think they do or not. If you’re Jose Hernandez—or whoever the boss is—are you willing to chance that one of these ten men won’t go to the cops? Or the FBI?”

  “So you start killing them? Remember, Daniel Frazier wasn’t listed as one of the members.”

  “He could have removed his own name to save face. Daniel wants out, threatens exposure…they kill him. Maybe Brett Peterson wanted out too. Maybe Brian Hodge wanted out.”

  “What do you think I should do? Send a unit out to check on Brian Hodge?” She shook her head. “Locked gate, you said. We’d have to have probable cause to go in.”

  “What if you say you got an anonymous tip?” Rylee said.

  “I could fabricate a tip, yes. It would still have to go through Mabanks to get a warrant.”

  The subtle tone on her phone letting her know she’d received a text sounded, but she ignored it. When she got a second text, she pulled her phone from the clip on her belt.

  “Oh, my God.” She looked at Finn, eyes wide in disbelief.

  “What is it?”

  “O’Leary’s body was found out in the gulf, picked up by Coast Guard. Single GSW to the head.”

  Finn pushed her plate away. “Okay, that’s it then. Game over. We go to Mabanks. We lay it all out in the open. Better yet, we bring him here.”

  “He’s not going to tell us anything, Finn. But Christ, what’s this guy doing? Trying to eliminate all of these guys?”

  “He will tell us what’s going on. His buddies are getting murdered. He’s scared for his life now. He could be next. He’s not worried about exposure any longer,” Finn countered.

  “You want me to call him?”

  “No. Pick him up. Bring him here.”

  “Pick him up? Finn, he’s my captain. I can’t order him to come with me.”

  Finn stood up. “Fine. Then I’ll do it. Rylee? Find his picture on that file. Print it out. Print out the list of members and their debt too.”

  “What are you going to do?” Rylee said as she stood up too.

  “I’m going to go get him.”

  “Alone? But—”

  “I’ll be fine, Rylee. I can handle him.”

  “But—”

  “It’ll be okay.”

  Rylee shook her head. “You should take Dee. You should—”

  “No. Dee stays with you. You’re safer here.”

  Dee could tell Rylee wanted to say more. Instead, she nodded a bit curtly. Finn smiled at her.

  “Nothing’s going to happen to me. We have some…unfinished business.”

  Rylee smiled at that and as Dee watched the exchange, she wondered what was going on with them. She also wondered if it was any of her business.

  Finn turned to her then, the look on her face all business now.

  “Dee, see if you can get the particulars on O’Leary.”

  Dee nodded. “I should be able to. I’ve got a few buddies at the Coast Guard.”

  “And maybe it’s time you called your friend at the FBI. It appears this is going to get out of hand very quickly.”

  “I will. I hope she’s not on assignment.”

  “Someone you trust?”

  “Yes. We were at HPD together years ago. CJ Johnston.”

  “Okay. Good. And Rylee? Do a search on the others, see if anything odd pops up. Check cell phone activity and credit cards. And I know I told you cell phone data was off limits but do it anyway. Some of them may have left Corpus.”

  Rylee was already at her laptop and she nodded at Finn’s directive.

  “I’ll be back as quick as I can. Don’t eat all the pizza.”

  * * *

  “There are two laptops. If you can spare the time, I could use some help. I’m still learning my way around all these databases.”

  “Of course,” Dee said, sitting opposite Rylee at the larger dining room table where the laptops were set up. “Let me call in first. Mabanks may still be there. If it’s true and Jose Hernandez is trying to eliminate these guys, then Mabanks would surely feel safer there than at home.”

  “Unless he feels like his wife is threatened.” Rylee’s fingers were tapping on the keys, then she paused, glancing up at her. “This has gotten out of control, hasn’t it?”

  “Yes. Coast Guard is involved now. Getting CJ to come down here is one thing, but I’m not in a position to ask the FBI for assistance. Not formally. Someone higher up on the food chain would have to do that.” But Rylee was frowning, not appearing to be listening to her. “What is it?”

  “I think it’s true. He’s trying to eliminate everyone. I think he is trying to dissolve all of this,” she said, motioning to the screen.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Come look. We had alerts set up on Hernandez’s accounts.” She pointed at the screen. “The accounts are all closed. Zero balances.”

  “Transferred where?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe into the accounts that were on the flash drive.”

  “Can you find it?”

  “No. Finn’s the expert on that.”

  “Offshore accounts, most likely. That’s been the assumption, anyway.”

  “As I understand it, we’re not even supposed to look at financials without a warrant.”

  “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” she murmured as she put a call in to Mabanks. It went unanswered. She blew out her breath, trying to decide what to do. “Call Finn,” she said to Rylee. “Tell her about the accounts. I’m calling CJ.”

  “Okay, good. Because this is way over our heads. I think we should have involved the FBI days ago.”

  “You do? I thought you were in agreement with Finn about keeping the FBI out as long as we could.”

  “I think we’ve reached that point, don’t you?”

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Finn slowed, driving past the Mabanks’ residence, then stopped about a half a block down. When she didn’t find him at the station, she had little hope of finding him at home. If this thing was escalating, if he was scared for his life, surely he wouldn’t be foolish enough to go to his house unprotected. But apparently he was. The plates on the car parked in his driveway matched. It was a quiet, residential street. Quiet and dark. There were lights on inside, though. He was inside. Maybe his wife too.

  She clipped her gun into the holster at her hip and got out, taking a precautionary look around before heading up the sidewalk to his front door. The papers Rylee had printed out were clutched in her hand. She rang the doorbell twice in succession, then knocked loudly several times.

  “Captain Mabanks? It’s Finley Knight. Open up.” She listened, hearing nothing from inside. She knocked again. “Mabanks? Open up.”

  The silence was finally broken by a shuffling sound at the door. “Who is it?”

  “It’s Finley Knight. I need to talk to you.”

  There was a long hesitation before he spoke. “Are you…are you alone?”

  “Yes, sir. Open up.”

  She heard the deadbolt disengage, then the lock on the doorknob turn. Finally the door opened a crack and Mabanks peeked out. He looked at her quickly, then glanced behind her.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “It’s time to talk, Captain. Enough games.”

  He opened the door fully but did not step aside. “What could a private investigator possibly want with me, a police captain?”

  She smiled briefly, then held up the copy of the photo with him and the woman with jet-black hair. His eyes widened and he took a step back.

 
“Where did you…where did you get that?”

  “I think you know where.” She looked behind him into the house. “Where’s your wife?”

  “She’s not here. Please…Finn, you can’t—”

  “Did you send her somewhere safe?”

  He nodded. “How much do you know?”

  “Enough. It looks like Hernandez is cutting and running. He’s transferred money out of all of his accounts. Looks like he’s trying to clean up his mess here. Take care of loose ends.” She held up the ledger with the list of names. “You and your friends here are the loose ends. O’Leary is dead. I’d bet Brian Hodge is too.”

  “Brian Hodge?” He shook his head. “Look, you—”

  “No, you look. You’re coming with me. You’re going to tell Dee everything you know. She’s already put a call in to the FBI. She’s—”

  “What the hell? She can’t do that!” he said loudly. “She has no authority to—”

  Finn slammed her fist against the door, making him jump. “You’re covering up three goddamn murders! You’re hiding money laundering. You’re protecting the guy who did it.” She waved the list at him again. “He’s killing the guys on this list, Captain. You’re on this list. So whatever the hell you’re mixed up in…too damn bad! And yeah, Dee went over your head. Somebody had to.”

  “You have no idea what’s going on. You have no idea how powerful this man is.”

  “That’s why you’re going to tell us all about it. Now come on.”

  He shook his head. “No. I’m getting out of here, but it’s not with you.”

  “John…these are professionals. You can’t run. They’ll find you. They’ll find your wife. Your only option is to come with me.”

  “And you think you can protect me?” He laughed. “No offense, Finn, but I remember you as a cop. I ain’t that trusting.”

  She pulled her gun out and pointed it at him. “You don’t have a choice. You’re coming with me.”

  “You’re pulling a gun on a police captain? You’ve lost your goddamn mind!”

  She grabbed him at the collar of his shirt, yanking him out of the door. “I swear, you haven’t changed a bit. And you used to call me obstinate.”

  He jerked away from her. “You’re not going to shoot me, Finn.”

  Before she could answer, they heard the squeal of tires as a car rounded the corner at far too fast of a speed. She took his arm and pulled him into the shadows of the overgrown shrubs at the side of his house. The black Cadillac pulled into the driveway, blocking Mabanks’ car. Two men got out. She recognized Michael Drake as the passenger. The driver was the same man who’d been driving the Cadillac with Brian Hodge. He was a large man, almost lumbering in his walk. Drake was nearly six feet tall. This man seemed to tower over him.

  She could feel the tension in the captain, hear his ragged breathing. She squeezed his arm but said nothing. They could hear the men searching inside the house…doors slamming shut, rustling footsteps running through hallways. The backyard light came on and they heard them on the patio, talking in hushed tones.

  “Come on,” she whispered, pulling him along with her.

  They squeezed between the two cars and ran into the neighbor’s yard, taking cover behind a bush near the privacy fence. They didn’t have a good view of the house from here, but by the sounds she could hear, the men were now back out front. Finally she heard car doors open and close, the car start up and back into the street. She got down as low as she could, knowing if they turned this way, their headlights would hit them. But they didn’t, they went back in the direction they’d come from, and only when the car turned the corner did she allow herself to breathe again.

  “Looks like you were next on their hit list,” she murmured as she stood, pulling him up with her. “Let’s get out of here.”

  He didn’t protest this time.

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Dee was on the phone when Finn led John Mabanks into the house. Rylee was at the table, her nose stuck in the laptop, her fingers drumming across the keys as she read.

  “Who’s that?” he asked with a jerk of his head.

  “My assistant,” she said with a quick smile at Rylee. “This is Captain Mabanks.” She motioned to a chair. “Have a seat.”

  Dee clipped her phone to her side, her face grim. “I sent a unit to the warehouse. They found Brian Hodge’s body. Hands were tied. Shot execution style.”

  “The building is owned by Bayside Janitorial, which is owned by Jose Hernandez,” Rylee said. “He’s owned the building about three years. It appears that it’s been vacant the whole time. It’s also the only property Bayside Janitorial still owns. Everything else has been sold.”

  Finn turned to Mabanks. “Tell us what you know. Start at the beginning.”

  Mabanks looked at Dee. “You really called in the FBI?”

  “I have a friend.” She glanced at her watch. “She’s supposed to get back with me within the hour. You’ll need to put in a formal request.”

  “Normally, those sorts of things have to go through the chief.”

  “Yeah, well this isn’t a normal case, is it? Or do you want to fill the chief in right now?” Dee pulled out a chair across from Mabanks. “And I’m sorry to be so blunt with you, Captain, but what the hell have you gotten yourself involved with?”

  Finn noticed that his hand was shaking and she went to the bar and poured a shot of whiskey for him. He nodded his thanks and knocked it back in one swallow.

  “Judge Santos came to me,” he said, looking at his empty glass instead of them. “Said they were forming a group. For some fun.” He looked up then. “Gambling and girls. I said no, of course. Then O’Leary met with me. Said they needed a police presence. For protection.”

  Dee actually rolled her eyes. “Seriously? That’s what lured you in?”

  “They were going to pay me. Five hundred bucks a night to basically do nothing. Yeah, I took it.”

  “At the house in South Bay?”

  Mabanks looked sharply at her. “How do you know about that?”

  Finn shrugged. “It wasn’t hard to find.” She sat down at the table, joining the others. “When did this start?”

  “I don’t know. Four years, I guess. Maybe more.”

  “There are ten members. Who recruited them?” Dee asked.

  “They call him Lobo. The White Wolf. He works for Jose Hernandez. He recruited them. They all serve a purpose.”

  “Who is Hernandez?” Finn asked.

  Mabanks rubbed his bald head nervously. “I never met the guy. He’s American, but he lives in Mexico from what I’ve heard…connected to some drug cartel there. He started paying off O’Leary and Santos, mostly for favorable zoning laws. He started buying up property, then selling for a huge profit after he got the zoning changed. He used Lawrence. They all got kickbacks. That’s how it started. Peterson does legal work for him.”

  “What’s his business?”

  Mabanks shrugged. “Other than janitorial? Drugs, I guess. It’s not like I’m in the loop, but I hear things.”

  “If he’s moving drugs, why gambling and girls?” Rylee asked.

  “It started with Santos and O’Leary. They wanted a little fun on the side. Hernandez gave it to them. Bought the house, brought in some girls from Mexico.”

  “And supplied cash when the stakes got too high?” Finn guessed.

  “We were hooked by then. Got three girls living there. At first, it was all a big party. You only needed money for gambling, nothing for the girls. After about five months or so, things changed. You visited the girls, you got a bill. You went over on poker, he covered you…with interest. It added up quickly.”

  “He, meaning Hernandez?”

  “Yeah, but Lobo does his bidding.”

  “So O’Leary and Santos knew the most. O’Leary has been eliminated. What about Santos?”

  Mabanks shook his head. “O’Leary called me yesterday. Said Judge Santos missed a meeting with him, wanted to know if I’d he
ard from him. Now that Nathan is dead, I’m assuming the worst for Santos.”

  “What about Brett Peterson?”

  Mabanks pushed his glass toward her. “I could use another shot of that.”

  Finn ignored his request. “What about Peterson?”

  “He wanted out. After the thing with Frazier, he wanted out.”

  “Why was Daniel Frazier killed?”

  “Because the stupid son of a bitch threatened to blow the whistle. Hernandez was moving all this cash through his restaurants, but he wouldn’t pay what Frazier wanted. I don’t know how the hell Frazier got access to the pictures or to anything else. One day, he sent us all an email saying he had the files. Sent us each a picture too. Said he was going to go public with it. Wanted a million dollars to start with.”

  Finn shook her head. “So extortion? And now everyone knew that Hernandez had these files on you all along. For blackmail? For leverage? I guess Peterson wasn’t the only one who wanted out. Daniel Frazier did too.”

  “Who ordered him killed?” Dee asked.

  “O’Leary and Santos let Lobo know. Wasn’t two weeks later, Frazier is dead. Now the hunt was on for the files.” Mabanks looked over at her. “Starting with you.”

  “They killed Sammy.”

  “They figured Frazier had left the files with you. When they didn’t find it—”

  “They tortured his wife,” Dee finished.

  “Why the affair with the wife?” Finn asked.

  “O’Leary said they were trying to find the files before eliminating Frazier.”

  “My God. You knew they planned to kill him?” Dee shook her head. “You’re a goddamn cop!”

  “What was I supposed to do?”

  “Your job! But I guess you work for the boss, don’t you? And your job was to let the cases go cold, so you yanked me.”

  “I had no choice, Dee.”

  “Bullshit! Three people murdered. Now two more. Maybe three, with Santos. Does he plan to kill all ten of you?”

  “The two men at your house…was the driver this Lobo guy?” Finn asked.

  “Yeah. The other is who you know as Michael Drake. He has several aliases from what I hear.”

  “Why not kill Brett Peterson? Why take his kid, use his wife? To what end?” Dee asked.