“I’m gonna turn out the lights. Be right back.”
As he walked toward the kitchen, he glanced into the living room and stopped. The furniture had been moved around. He shut off the lights and hurried back into the bedroom. “What happened to the furniture in the living room?” Luke asked frowning.
“I moved it while I was vacuuming today, and I thought I would let you put it back. Is that okay with you Mr. Fussy-man?” Sabrina pursed her lips at him.
“No, that is definitely not okay with me, Sabrina. Especially while you’re pregnant. I told you I would vacuum.” Luke waved his finger in her face. “There’s no way you should be moving heavy furniture.” He put her hands in his. “I want you to promise me that you won’t do that again.”
“Okay Mr. Fussy-man, I won’t do that again.” Sabrina’s eyes crinkled. She rubbed his shoulder and smiled at him. “Now come to bed and keep me warm.”
Luke’s frown changed into a smile and he kissed his wife’s hand. “Okay, Mrs. Malone, your wish is my command.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A few miles away, Don stood in front of Uelle’s headstone. He tied a couple of birthday balloons with bright purple ribbons to the vase he kept there. “Happy Birthday, Uelle.” He looked up at the sky and shook his finger at it. “You remembered her birthday, right?” He smiled at the tombstone. “I’m sure they remembered. After all, how could they forget the birthday of the most wonderful person they’ve ever met?” He stood and rubbed the tombstone for a while, head bowed.
About an hour later, he sat at his computer with the files next to his desk and Belle on his shoulder. As he talked on his cell phone, he studied a list on his screen. It was from an email that Rebecca sent.
“Thanks, Rebecca. You worked hard on this. This will help.” He listened for a minute. “Yes, we had background checks done on the members of the PTA and the Bible study group but came up with nothing. No surprise there.” There was another pause. “Yes, I’ll call you if I need anything else. You’re definitely helping us narrow it down. Thanks again. Bye.”
He sat back and folded his arms, still looking at the list. “Belle, I think I’ve got tomorrow mapped out. It’s better than it was before. Rebecca came through with those cross-checks. We really don’t have anything that connects with axes, but we do have some knife references.”
He took Belle off his shoulder and looked at her. “The jump from knife to axe could happen, don’t you think? I don’t know, maybe some sort of an attraction to a steel blade?” Belle cocked her head and a small smile formed on his lips as he put her back on his shoulder. When he looked at the box of files, he ran a hand through his hair and a small groan escaped his lips. “It’s the best we have right now, anyway.”
He printed the email and rearranged the files according to the list. Then he got up and stretched and brought the box into his entrance placing it near his front door. He carried Belle over to her cage.
“Good night, pretty lady. It’s time to dream about eating bugs or some other wonderful fantasy.” He stroked her feathers for a few minutes as Belle looked at him. Then he placed her in her cage and put the cover over it so she could sleep well.
He hoped he would too.
Chapter Thirteen
The alarm sounded and Don reached over to turn it off with his eyes still closed. Man! That was a short night! How could it be five already? He kept pushing the snooze button but the ringing continued. He finally opened his eyes. “Oh.” With his head still on the pillow, he picked up his phone and held it to his ear. “Layden here.”
Luke was on the other end of the phone and Don could hear the strain in his voice. “Don, Sabrina has some bleeding going on. I’m taking her to the hospital.”
“Oh, no.” Don sat up. “Does she have any cramps or anything?”
“A little bit. She vacuumed yesterday while I was gone and moved our living room furniture around!” Luke’s voice grew louder as he spoke.
Don grimaced. “Not good. Just get her to the doctor. Let me know how she is doing, all right? Do you have someone to watch Lucy? How will she get to pre-school?”
“Yeah, I already got that all set up,” Luke replied. “Hey sorry to leave you like this with the case being so tough and all…”
“Don’t worry about it. Take care of your wife and your baby. Besides, Rebecca came through with some cross-checks. I have the day all mapped out.”
“Do you have someone that can go with you?”
“Luke, you worry about your wife. I’ll worry about the case. Now get off this phone. Go take care of your family. Let me know how things go, okay? Talk to you later.”
Don placed the phone back on the night table, looked at the clock, and groaned. It was four in the morning. He blinked a few times, and then rubbed his face with both hands hard so that he could wake up enough to get up and exercise. He might as well get going.
Since it was so early, Don stopped by the station’s shooting range in the basement of the downtown station. He greeted the shift manager as he signed in. “Hey Simon, how’s it going?”
The pear-shaped man grinned at Don. “You’re here early! This time of day it’s usually the guys that are getting off the graveyard shift who come in.”
“Yeah, I woke up early so I decided now was as good a time as any to get my practice time in for the month. Have to go out and interview people all day. I’m guessing pounding on the doors of Denver’s citizens this early might get me in hot water.”
“Roger that. See you when you’re done.”
About forty-five minutes later, another detective, Zach Daskalis, came in to work on his practice shooting in the stall next to Don. “Hey Don, how’s it going?”
Don shook his head and gave the short, husky man a weak smile. “Been better.” He told Zach about the case, and about Belinda’s insistence that the files were the only key to the answer. “I just hope she’s right and that I can make some inroads today.” Don explained Luke’s challenges and then asked, “How goes the task of solving crimes for you?” Don remembered that Zach and his partner Jim had been working on a series of murders that were occurring amongst the homeless community.
“It’s tough, too.” Zach’s forehead creased. “They either won’t talk to us because they’re scared or sometimes they just don’t have the mental skills to communicate very well. Many of them believe we are going to hurt them when that is the furthest thing from the truth.”
Don sighed. “Yeah, the mentally ill are a population at risk. Problem is they are easy for everyone to ignore.” He grimaced at Zach. “I guess we’re paid to clean up the mess, eh?” The two detectives nodded to each other.
“Good talking to you. Don’t go out there by yourself. Wait until you know what’s going on with Luke.” Zach raised a hand to signal goodbye as Don turned to leave.
Don went upstairs to check his email before getting out for the interviews. He hoped he could get that done before Belinda arrived. She rarely came in this early.
He just turned off his computer when Belinda walked up behind him. “Well?”
Startled, Don jumped and then closed his eyes before turning around to face her.
“Good morning, Belinda. What brings you in so bright and early?” Don made his voice as pleasant as possible as he turned to face her.
“Following up on my detectives.” Belinda glared at Don. “Oh come to think of it, you have a case going, don’t you?” Her eyes narrowed. “Any progress?”
Don kept his voice calm. “We’re moving forward. We worked late last night. Then I did more research after I got home. I think I can make good headway today.”
“Cool. It’d be amazing to see some sort of progress on a murder that occurred two days ago.” Her eyes widened. “Don’t you agree?” With that she turned on her heel and stomped to her office.
Don clen
ched his teeth, got up, and exited the station.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Belinda turned on her computer and responded to an email from the mayor. When he read it, she hoped he would notice the early time of day it was sent. Then she got up to go grab breakfast at her favorite spot near the station.
Outside, Don stood by the Crown Vic for a couple of minutes. Doing the interviews alone was definitely not the smartest thing to do, but he didn’t see any way out of it today. He opened the trunk and pulled the first file. Then he climbed into his car and headed out.
Chapter Fourteen
The first file Don pulled was for a man named Chris Koster who was jailed due to a domestic violence crime. Reading about someone beating his wife made Don’s blood boil. He stalked up to the door and pounded.
No answer.
Don pounded again. After a few more moments, the door swung open. Standing there was an overweight man of about five feet ten inches. The few hairs left on his head were gray and dirty. His clothes were wrinkled and his face was grizzled in gray scruff.
Don showed his badge. “I’m investigating a crime. I’d like to ask you a couple of questions. Are you Chris Koster?”
“Huh?” Chris appeared to be confused.
As Don asked his questions, he stepped into Chris’s house and looked around. It was a mess. Empty bottles of beer and alcohol were mixed in with old, barren boxes of pizza. There were no signs that a female either lived there or visited. Chris’s former girlfriend was obviously long gone. An ancient bloodhound looked at Don without even raising his head, his soulful brown eyes needing no words.
Don finished the interview and escaped. He got back into the Crown Vic and grimaced. “That was ugly,” Don muttered to himself as he put the file back. “That guy couldn’t make it out to the curb let alone to Alicia’s house.”
Don drove to the next address, parked, and looked at the file. Armando Rahmin got out of jail about five months ago. Adam prosecuted him for dealing drugs on the grounds of an elementary school, attacking a police officer with a deadly weapon, and running from the police. Armando studied the martial arts and was also good with knives. He was six feet tall and 190 pounds. “Luke, I miss you already,” Don said to the empty passenger seat next to him. Don braced himself, got out of the car, and bounded up the stairs to Armando’s apartment.
Hearing noises coming out of the apartment, Don slowed his approach. Men’s voices were mixed with music. Don wanted to see how many men he might have to be dealing with. He put his back against the outer wall of the apartment so he could look into the room through the window. Three men were doing a drug deal. There was about two ounces of what was most likely cocaine out on the table. He could see them testing it to see how pure it was. Don retreated a few steps and called for backup when a neighbor opened his door, spotted Don, and yelled, “Hey! It’s the cops! What are you doing here?”
Chairs scraped against the floor in Armando’s apartment. Don pounded on the door. “Open up, this is the police!”
Don burst through the door and rolled as guns fired at him. He took cover behind a couch and returned fire. Just then a bullet zinged by him from behind. Don looked over his shoulder and saw a young boy turn and run away.
Chairs fell over as the dealers headed for the fire escape. Don jumped up and chased them. Don was faster than all of them, and he was able to take one down and cuff him while watching where the others headed. The culprits split up and Don followed in Armando’s wake, legs pumping.
A gray-haired woman inclined her head in the direction of a grimy alley and Don slowed down. Holding his gun low, he eased into the alley. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. Step by step, he moved forward. He saw a fence at the end of the alley. Approaching a trash bin, Don sprang out and found nothing.
Before Don knew what was happening, Armando pounced on Don from behind. Don’s gun fell out on the ground and spun out of reach as he and Armando wrestled on the ground. Armando had a knife, but Don was quick and stopped the knife several times. The scuffle continued. Armando was able to slice into Don’s arm, but Don got on top of him and cuffed him just as he heard sirens in the distance.
Don retrieved his gun and put it away then hauled up Armando. “You have the right to remain silent…” Don dragged Armando towards his car as the police backup came running.
Two hours later, Don sat in a room in ER getting stitches from a young, black haired doctor when Luke strode in. A nurse chased after him. “Sir, sir you can’t go in there! Only family can go in there!”
Luke turned and looked down at the tiny nurse. “I am family.” Luke walked over to Don and put his dark face right next to his partner’s face. “Can’t you tell we’re brothers?”
The nurse looked from Luke to the doctor. Luke flashed his badge and the doctor spoke up. “It’s okay. Thanks, Cindy.”
“He’s my partner.” Don rolled his eyes. “See what I have to put up with?”
The doctor’s eyes crinkled and he continued stitching while Luke stood in front of Don, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “What happened?”
“First tell me about Sabrina. How is she?”
Luke exhaled in relief as he responded. “She’s okay. She just has to lie down and rest for a couple of days, but she’ll be fine. I talked her sister into staying with us for a little while.” Luke folded his arms. “Your turn. What happened?”
Don filled him in and watched Luke’s eyes flash as he listened.
“Cheeto, I told you not to go anywhere without someone to help you! What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking Belinda would kill us if we didn’t make headway on the files. Armando and his buddies are being processed right now. As soon as I’m done here, let’s get down to the station and see where we are.”
“You really should lie down for the rest of the day,” interjected the doctor. “You lost a fair amount of blood.”
“Don’t worry Doc, I think I can take a couple of stitches and still do police work.”
“Against your physician’s advice.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
About thirty minutes later, Armando was in an interview room with his hands cuffed behind his back and his feet cuffed as well. Don and Luke stood outside of the room for a minute, observing, before they went in. Luke grabbed a chair and tossed it so that it landed backwards. He straddled it and stuck his face close to Armando’s.
“Very impressive,” Armando sneered.
Luke’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not here to impress you, sucker, I’m here to get answers.” He moved his head closer to Armando. “And you had better think about the consequences of withholding information. Not a good idea.”
Don walked over and stood at the end of the table. “So tell me, Armando, how was your life in the penitentiary? Canon City is such a beautiful town, don’t you think?”
Armando’s lips drew back across his teeth and his hickory eyes darkened a shade. “Hey man, it was like staying at the Hilton. Turn down bed service, maids to clean, fresh linen every day…”
“And I’ll bet you can’t wait to go back.” Luke raised his eyebrows. “That must be why you were dealing drugs this morning. So you could get back to an upgraded suite right away.”
Armando scowled and folded his arms. His eyes shifted from one detective to another.
Don leaned forward. “Then again, maybe the idea of going back isn’t really so appealing after all. Maybe you hated it. Maybe you thought about how you got there and decided to get even.”
Armando frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“What were you doing at five thirty in the morning this past Saturday?” Luke’s face was so close to Armando’s face that he could feel Armando’s breath.
“Five thirty in the morning?” Armando laughed. “Hell, I was sleeping! What else would I be do
ing at that time of day?”
“You sure?” Luke squinted at Armando. “I better not find out that you’re lying to me. I assure you, you will be very sorry if I find out that you are.”
Armando looked down his nose at Luke. “Go talk to my ol’ lady. She’ll tell you.”
Luke sat back and looked at Don, frowning. Another dead end.
Don and Luke hustled out to verify Armando’s alibi. Sure enough, it was true. They got back in the car and sat there for a few minutes, staring at nothing.
Cursing, Luke slammed his fist on the dashboard.
“I know.” Don leaned his head back and looked at the Crown Vic’s ceiling. “The axe has to lead us somewhere. It’s the axe. We keep focusing on these files, but we can’t ignore the axe.”
Just then, Don’s phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and put it on speaker. Then he took a deep breath. “Layden here.”
“Have you and Luke transferred to the drug unit?” Belinda’s sarcasm dripped through the airwaves like a toxic chemical. “You’ve made a couple of nice drug busts, but no murder busts. You’re looking for a murderer, remember? You’re supposed to be homicide detectives. Have you finished checking out the rest of those files?”
Don closed his eyes. “No Belinda, we have not.”
“Then get to it! And by the way, you managed to cost the department money again. Armando’s landlord called and wants payment for the damages to the apartment.”
Don tried not to snarl. “They shot at me first.” The call ended.
“I’ll get in touch with Rebecca again to see if she’s come up with any other possible connections on the axe.” He gritted his teeth. “I know we’ve already done that. Maybe she found something new.” He stared at the floorboards. “This might be the case that is too big to solve under Belinda’s way of doing things.”
Deadly Gratitude Page 7