Trevar's Team 3

by Kieran York

“I thought you’d tell me.”

  “Stop being a cutesy bitch. You think you know who killed my husband. Out with it.”

  “I just wanted to deliver the news to the grieving widow. But first, let’s call Johnny out. Come on, Johnny,” I yelled to the next room. “I know you’re there.”

  Through the hallway, I heard the traipsing of feet. “You’ve got a nerve coming here,” he blasted. He was struggling to get his shirt on.

  Rachel and I looked at one another, then nodded. I then pulled my gun out. “Johnny, were you in on the murder?”

  “I never killed anyone,” he objected. “Are you two nuts?”

  “Wow, you didn’t knife Donald, but you certainly were in on it. You were a collaborator, conspirator. We’ve got Gary’s confession. He was coerced by one of you, or both of you. The police will be taking his statement.”

  “Gary is certifiable,” Mona screamed. “If he murdered Donald, he did it alone.”

  “Have a seat, both of you,” I ordered them. By this time Rachel had pulled her gun from its holster. Unusual for her to pull her weapon without being told. But it was out and shining.

  I glared, and addressed them, “Mona, you wanted rid of your husband. You were working Trevar Team hard to find some infraction against Donald. You wanted the slate clean. And without having to lose part of your company with a divorce. Your other husbands all had their own money, and they wouldn’t have caused a fuss. Donald would have gone after your money. You wanted him out of the way. To go quietly. He never would have done that. Also, you’d started to have interested in his pal, Johnny, here.”

  Johnny stood rapidly, his face was bursting with a red color that was difficult to place. Tomato-color was probably pretty accurate. “You’re with those detectives. You can’t arrest us.”

  “I can detain you. I’m perfectly within my rights to do just that. So, settle down until we’ve got the story aimed in the right direction. Johnny, you were attracted to Mona. You even mentioned that you liked older women. And if you pursued her, you knew she’s the kind of woman that would yield to your attention. You both wanted Donald dead. The term death row comes to mind. You hated Gary and Donald for the trick they played on you. They made a fool out of you with their cock and bull story about Gary’s patriotism, and his heroics.”

  Johnny slowly sunk down onto the couch. He’d probably had a couple stiff drinks, and his head was beginning to feel cottony. “It may have made me hate Gary. But why would I kill Donald. He got fooled, too. He didn’t know until after we all believed the story.”

  “But he let the lie continue.” I paused, then said, “It will all come out. Gary is spilling to the police as we speak. Then the two of you will blame one another. That’s the way these things happen. Gary claims you two gave him money to kill Donald. Get him out of your lives,” I surmised.”

  I pretty much figured that must have been the money Gary needed to buy up his armaments and his explosives. Gary was angry enough to blow a pretty good sized hole in the world. His anger was against his pal, a guy who married money, who succeeded on a monetary scale. Hatred enough to not only kill someone, but to brutally, beyond reason, knife someone to death. That is a pent-up, deep rage. He cut Donald to ribbons. The killing was not anger by proxy. He hated Donald.

  “I would have just bought Donald off,” Mona defended.

  “Naw.” I watched their reactions. “You’d fallen for Johnny. You tipped your hand when you said that it couldn’t have been Johnny, because he wasn’t even in in town at the time of the murder. You wouldn’t have known that. Unless you were keeping tabs on Johnny.”

  “It doesn’t prove a thing.” Mona’s face was filled with scorn.

  I commented coolly, “Gary would off a friend if the price was right. And you made the price right, didn’t you, Mona? Cheaper than paying Donald’s pre-nup payoff.”

  “No,” she said, this time her eyes were pleading, “No.”

  “Come on, your tracer phone that was in the packet with the one used by Donald showed calls had been made. Made to both Gary and to Johnny. We discovered the numbers were only one number off the phone Donald had been using.”

  “I called to tell them Donald had been killed.”

  I spoke in my ‘convince the jury’ voice. “Fifteen minutes after the crime was committed? When no one even knew. Except the killer and the conspirators. You three were busy checking in with one another. Conspiring.”

  Rachel added, “Case closed. Not only do we know who you called with that phone, we know it was you. You just confessed to that.”

  Johnny accused, “You stupid…Why can’t you ever keep your mouth shut. First you say you fired them, then they waltz in and entrap you. All along, I just wanted to bug Donald by getting a little hot mama action from his old lady.” Johnny drug his hands through his hair. “Now, I’ve fucking got trouble with the law.”

  I conceded, “She continued with our services too long. That was another thing. Mona, you kept us on the payroll to find out what was happening with the case. You wanted to see what we found out, and what the police had. Then the two of you sit there and toss crazy Gary under the bus. Now, you’re both going to turn on one another.”

  I was predicting with unusual fine accuracy. Mona confronted Johnny. “You wanted Donald out of the picture. Donald was getting suspicious.”

  She then shrieked at Johnny. “Go ahead. Tell them why we plotted to kill him. Just have the balls for once in your useless life to be a man. Tell them.”

  His fingers continued nervously combing back his hair. “Donald had gone to Gary and asked him for a favor. He said he had money, he would pay Gary. Mona was planning on leaving him, and then he’d have nothing. He and Gary planned to murder Mona. Donald knew that Mona had the money and the power to dump him. And probably had enough lawyers to get out of the prenuptial. But he would have it all, if he killed his wife.”

  Rachel and I looked at one another.

  “Holy mackerel,” I said under my breath. I stared at Mona’s twisting face. “Donald was planning your demise. He was going to hire his pal Gary to kill you. Right, Mona?”

  Mona added, “Absolutely. Gary told us he was being paid by Donald to kill me. Donald was pilfering money so he could pay Gary to kill me. Gary will tell you that.”

  Johnny said, “Mona was protecting herself. We offered Gary twice the money to get rid of Donald. If we hadn’t, even if Gary refused to kill off Mona, Johnny would have hired someone else to kill her. Another hired killer.”

  “Did everyone agree on the method of murder?” Rachel questioned.

  “Gary is an aggressive guy,” Mona spoke. “He said that Donald originally wanted to have me thrown off the balcony. But Gary told Donald that he could use his combat training and slash me. When I found out he wanted Gary to stab me, I thought a seemingly better comeback would be to have the murderer knife him. Make him suffer. Just as he would have had done to me.”

  Johnny nodded, and said, “But I warned him with all the blood, he had to be careful not to leave evidence. He said he had someone who would help him. A guy named Novak.”

  “You struck the deal?” Rachel questioned.

  “It was that or let Donald have Mona killed.” Johnny was playing it for all it was worth. “It was self-defense.”

  Mona added, “And it would have worked if your Team hadn’t gotten involved. The homicide detectives said they’d probably never find the killer. It was going so great.”

  “It was never going great, Mona. I knew all along it was one of you. Usually I trust my radar, that inside feeling. I could never figure out which one of you did it.”

  Rachel closed her eyes a moment. “They all did it. That was what threw your system off. Who the hell would have thought a victim’s wife and two pals would kill the guy?”

  Obviously, not me. I pressed Chief Tom Power’s direct number. “Tom, I know by now, you’re busy collecting the dastardly duo, Gary Dodge and Mark Novak. But I think you’ll want to jet on over her
e to Ross Apartments and collect the co-conspirators. Mona and Johnny colluded their pants off.”

  Tom’s brusque voice sounded jittery. “I have never heard anything like this. Did those two tell you about it? About Donald Ogden trying to hire Gary to knock off his wife. Then, the damn killer got his money doubled by killing Ogden instead. Ogden was the first to put out a contract. He gets outbid by his potential victim. Jez, the guy set up his own killing. And it wasn’t pretty. Have you ever heard of anything so bizarre? Did they confess to that?”

  “That’s the story we got, too, Tom. And we not only make credible witness to the confession. We’ve got it all on audio/video for you.”

  “And these two imbeciles here at Gary’s apartment have enough explosives and weapons to take out part of our city.”

  “Glad you gave up smoking, Tom,” I commented. “I haven’t seen that many guns and explosives since I visited a military base once.”

  “We’ll be right over,” he replied gruffly.

  “Tom, it is a rather good thing Trevar’s Team didn’t for a second believe that it was a random killing.”

  “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” He made the trip in less than ten, with sirens blaring, and half a dozen black and whites.

  We were all required to meet at the police headquarters. After giving our statements, the four of us talked to prosecutors. They’d never heard of anything like it either. They quickly went over our statements again with us. They were fairly confident that Gary Dodge would get life without parole. They would eventually offer that, in place of going for a death penalty charge. And also, to turn against both Mona and Johnny.

  To the assistant district attorney taking my information, I said, “Gary raped his fellow soldiers. Was never prosecuted for it. He impersonated a military hero. The guy swanned around acting like he’d done something courageous, and that was never authentic. I’d love to see him on death row.”

  “We’d like to put him on death row. But Beryl, the inmates where he’ll be sent don’t take kindly to his crimes. The remainder of his life is going to be spent with some treacherous men who are every bit as evil as he is. As you know, he can testify against the coconspirators. And Mona Ross has money to fight conviction. I think that will work against her. Same with Johnny Groversen. The two of them hadn’t expected to be caught, so they didn’t have exit ramps planned. Juries are going to convict them.”

  “They’ll lawyer up separately. They were getting feisty with one another before the police arrived,” I divulged.

  “Your Team’s excellent video provided the takedowns and confessions from every angle.”

  “Would it be fair to say that it will all be admissible evidence of the highest order?”

  The assistant D.A. chuckled. “Absolutely. Anyway, thanks.”

  I was relieved when I arrived at Pages. The security guard had done an excellent job of watching after my lady. Rachel, Summer, and Jill had returned to The Radclyffe. Media calls were coming in, and Rachel finally loaded our answering message. We were unavailable to discuss the pending case.

  We were all exhausted. The other team members said they would be getting tucked in early. I also required quiet. I wanted to take Clarissa in my arms, and just hold her. I wanted the two of us to be secure, tenderly so. We’d slept a couple hours before I heard the sheets rustling. She whispered in my ear, “Beryl, romance is loveliest at midnight.”

  It was one A.M. and our romance was lovely. I thought we both deserved to sleep in when morning arrived. Of course, I was falling in love with her. Or had I already fallen. My eyes shut, and I was completely out of questions.

  Chapter 16

  That morning, Jill arrived to bodyguard Clarissa. I was glad Jill and I had a few moments to converse about the Team. Clarissa was chatting with a customer, so it was an opportune time.

  I commented, “I think we can all be proud of taking down the killers of Donald Ogden. Another homicide solved.”

  Smiling, Jill leaned against a book counter. It was her amazing grin that lit up her face. “I’ve got to tell you, that was an exciting takedown. It wasn’t the way a SWAT team would have dealt with it. There would have been hours of negotiating. A dangerous standoff. Finally, a dangerous takedown. We just dived right in. We rushed them, slapped them on the ground, and took them into custody.”

  “I told you early on, we don’t go by the book, because we don’t have a book. Stay safe, do a reasonably juridically-approved job, and collar the perps. When we have a situation that needs to be dealt with immediately, we work it promptly, swiftly, and securely. Make it safer for us all.”

  “It’s just different. It’s gut call rather than textbook,” she asserted. “I see how we took down the killers. And I felt proud. It’s just not the same. But we got the job done.”

  “I know you have doubts.” I recognized that in her eyes. They wavered. Or at least she was struggling with the justice angle. “We don’t have the perks of city and county enforcers. But we aren’t restricted. The police department has the staff and has the backup. We make it on our own. Or don’t. Jill, I understand each side has benefits, and frustration. The important part is that we do some good. That’s all I want. And good can be done by wearing a uniform and badge, or by our independent determination to fight crime. Two methods. Two philosophies. The very same desired outcome. Criminals are off the streets.”

  “All the training I went through keeps pounding. Do it the correct way, it’s saying.”

  “We do what is correct for us. If someone shoots at us, we’re citizens, and we can fire back. We don’t need to fiddle around getting shot at again. We can pull the trigger. We don’t need to wait for a warrant. We’re not in the job of concerning ourselves with regulations and technicalities. The Team just does what needs doing. And we try not to get killed.” I rubbed my eyes.

  “It just concerns me.” She was coming to terms or figuring it out for herself.

  “Jill, I understand your concerns and your anxieties. When I went from being an attorney to being a detective, I felt like I was breaking a solemn oath. I saw the ferocious way of the streets. Fast, and dangerous. The first time I picked a lock, I was a wreck. If I had been caught, all I’d need to say is that it was a necessity. It would be a necessity, emergency entry, defense.”

  “Police, enforcers, without a warrant, needs to make out reports, face suspension. Etcetera.”

  I offered, “Crime is time-sensitive. Law needs to be upheld by the ones in power. And the reason for strict adherence to the law is that there are a small group of dirty, bigoted, slimy cops. Broken badges. There has to be law, but the enforcers must better adhere to the law than the citizens. Many badges die doing just that.”

  “It seems complex.”

  “Jill, I know it’s been a rough change for you. And as for the Team, I hope Summer is making it easier now.”

  “Things are okay.” She pursed her lips. “I hope.”

  “Give it time. This morning Summer is going to talk with Ax. See if she can recruit him as a C.I. to fed us information about Mickey, Dimitri, and/or Jurg. She has a better chance of becoming pals with him. Maybe someone caring about Simon being murdered might pop up. Rachel will be doing information gathering.”

  “What’s your assignment?”

  I grinned. “I must have drawn the shortest straw. I’m going into the Sheeran’s Club. Ravyn doesn’t go in until later, so I thought it would be good to talk with a couple of the other women. Might not glean anything. But it will make it looking like I’m on a generic search. Maybe I can take suspicion off of Ravyn, and that might encourage her to call me again. Somewhere there is a file folder Simon left behind. Mickey might have already destroyed it, but it might be hidden away. When I leave here, I’ll contact Boyd and ask him to see if he can recall anything at all about where Simon hung out. Jog his memory.”

  “By the way,” Jill changed subjects. “Rachel wants to put together a little dinner party tonight. Invite Clarissa, Mandy, and Boyd. A
nd she said to bring a date. I left a woman I loved in Miami when I moved here. I thought she’d follow. But she hasn’t.”

  “A party to celebrate our busting the homicide. Capturing the ‘who knows the hitman’ gang.”

  Jill laughed. “See, it’s cheering me up.”

  “It might be just what we need. I’m worried about Boyd showing up. In case Coleman or one of the others are surveilling the yacht.”

  “Ahead of you. Mandy said she’ll disguise Boyd’s identity.” Jill chuckled. “Maybe she’ll dress him in a nun’s costume.”

  Our laughter strung together. I said, “My ex became a nun.”

  “I remember. She was a world-famous singer. She went off to do a retreat or something, as a nun.”

  “She’s a missionary in Latin America. Jungle.”

  “I know her music, and movies. She was very glamorous. That’s a leap. Go from sexy Latina singer to a nun.”

  Sadness wasn’t overwhelming me, but there was an ache. “Jill, I loved her so much. And she left me. I guess that’s why I don’t trust women.”

  “Trev, you’re terrified of becoming a duet with such an amazing woman. That’s insane. Love is giving it a chance. Trust is the down payment. Clarissa loves you. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be with you. You have to risk again. We’ve all had disappointment, but I’m still looking and hoping. But you already know what you feel. Even with our Team, you’ve lived through it with Summer and Rachel. I’m just getting to know all of you.”

  “I’m hoping you continue to know us. The four of you are my family.”

  “It’s good you have Boyd now, too.”

  “I think he’s a good guy. Time will tell.”

  “Trust him. And trust Clarissa. She’s one of the best women I’ve ever met. Don’t miss out on her.”

  I nodded. It was my turn to change subjects. “I wonder what’s on the menu tonight.”

  “Rachel ordered crab, lobster, fresh fruit, and incidentals. She said you’d figured the menu out.”

  I paused, considering. “Crab croquettes with lemon and avocado sauce, to begin. Lobster on a bed of couscous with chives and tarragon. Sautee pommess …”