The Cleanest Kill

by Rick Reed

  Dennis’s head bobbled up and down and his eyes grew wide.

  “Damn near killed us,” Dennis said. “We was off the side of the road in a ditch. Smoke was coming from under the hood, we all got banged around, my head hit the ceiling twice, and the engine was dead. Dick tried to get back on the road, but we was out of control and went airborne off the other side of the road and damn near flipped.

  “And then here came Max, tooling by in that souped-up Camaro, waving and smiling. Dick went crazy, man. He was throwing big rocks at Max’s car. I got the Caddy started and we got back on the road. Dick’s car was messed up, man. If it was me, I would have called it a night. But Dick was gone. He said he was going to kill Max. We drove around some and saw some taillights in that cemetery where the second fight happened. Max’s car was parked in there and Dick told me to block it in. So I pulled in behind the Camaro and we all got out.”

  James rubbed his throat. “I’m getting real dry, man. You got any whiskey?”

  Liddell went to find Jake and came back with a partial bottle and one glass. James took a swig from the bottle, ran an arm across his mouth, and said, “Max didn’t try to run. Like I said, he was invincible. I guess he thought he could take us all on. And he kind of did. He took what we threw at him, I mean, what Dick and Carl did to him, and he just stood there, grinning. And then we left.”

  “You just left. All of you?”

  “Yeah. I mean we—they got tired cause Max wouldn’t stay down. One of his arms was hurt, but he punched Needham out with the other arm. That boy could fight. Then Max got ahold of the tire iron Needham was using and we—they backed off. Dick told Max it wasn’t over and we all left in Dick’s car and went home.”

  “Max was still alive when you left? He was outside the car?”

  “Yeah. Like I said, he was standing there and grinning when we left. Holding that damn tire iron. He would’ve hurt someone real bad. I seen a fight once with a guy and he got his head caved in. I wasn’t fighting. It was two of my friends. Other friends, I mean.”

  “You’re lying,” Jack said. “We know you’re lying because we have hospital records from that night.”

  Dennis held the bottle in his lap, twisting his hand around the top.

  “I’m starting to get pissed off here, Dennis. You’re wearing me out—man.” He took the bottle out of Dennis’s hands and gave it to Liddell. “You said you knew who killed Max Day. Do you or don’t you know? Last chance.”

  “Okay, okay. I just don’t want you putting it on me. I’ll tell you the truth. The God’s truth this time. Everyone got hurt a little more than I let on, but I swear, Max was alive when we took off.”

  “They were a little more than hurt, Dennis. You told us Needham killed Max and that he’s trying to kill you. Now you’re saying Max was alive when the three of you left him at the cemetery. Needham’s not trying to kill you, is he?”

  “He did. I mean, Carl’s the only one that could have killed Max. I didn’t see it, but I swear he did. He was whaling on Max with that tire iron, and Dick was swinging with a beer bottle. You got the hospital records. We all went to the hospital.”

  “Carl too?” Jack asked.

  “Yeah. Carl drove us to the hospital, but I don’t remember him coming inside. He kind of disappeared. I guess the nurse called Dick’s father. When Captain Dick got there no one could find Carl. Me and Dick were there at the emergency room, but Carl wasn’t nowhere to be found.”

  “What did Captain Dick do at the hospital?” Jack asked.

  “You probably know all this.”

  Jack shook his head. “I want you to tell me, Dennis.”

  “Okay. When Dick’s father found out what had happened he asked about Carl because he knew we hung out together and he knew Carl wasn’t at the hospital with us. He told us to stay put and took off. When he came back he took us to the police station and asked us some questions.”

  “When did you next see Carl? I’m verifying your honesty, Dennis. I’ll know if you lie. Continue.”

  “Well, we was taken to the police station by Captain Dick and he stuck us in his office. Carl was in there when we got there.”

  “Why didn’t Carl stay at Deaconess to be treated?” Jack asked.

  “He had some lumps. Max popped him a bunch of times in the face and head. I can guess.”

  “Then guess,” Jack told him.

  “I think he went back to the cemetery. To get even,” Dennis said. “He got beat up pretty good that night and he was mad, but he was real quiet. Dick had a broken nose, some cuts under his eye, and his nose was bleeding again and we was all hurt, so Carl drove. Carl had the car keys at the hospital.”

  “Let me ask you something, Dennis, and I want a truthful answer. Did you see Carl kill Max?” Jack asked.

  “No, sir. I didn’t see that. But it had to be him. We couldn’t find Carl and the next thing we know, Carl’s in the Captain’s office and the Captain’s telling us Max is dead and we have to get our stories straight.”

  “Is that the first time you knew Max was dead? Did you know before Captain Dick told you?” Jack asked.

  “I didn’t know until right then. I can’t say for Richard or Carl, but like I said, Richard was at the hospital with me until his dad came and got us, so he probably didn’t know, either.”

  Jack would get back to that. “And Carl was already in the Captain’s office when you and Richard got there? Is that the right order of things? Think hard.”

  Dennis thought and said, “Yeah. Just like I told you.”

  Jack said, “Let’s go back to the hospital when Captain Dick arrived. Tell me again what he did?”

  “He wanted to know what happened. Richard tried telling him we’d been in an accident, but he didn’t believe it. I told him what really happened. He asked where Carl was and we told him we didn’t know. I guess that’s about the first time I’d noticed Carl was gone. Then the Captain said we was to stay put. He’d take care of the hospital stuff and he’d be back. He left and was gone about an hour or so. When he came back he made us get in his car and took us to the police station. Like I said, Carl was in the Captain’s office.”

  Jack asked, “Did any other detective or police officer see you or talk to you?”

  “Yeah. A Detective Olson. He was in the Captain’s office about an hour after we got there.”

  “What happened when Captain Dick had you in the office? Before Olson arrived.”

  “He told us that Max was dead. He asked us if we knew who killed him. We all said we didn’t know. When we last saw him at the cemetery, he was alive. The Captain was taking notes. He wrote down some things and made us read it. He told us to repeat what we’d read. I guess that’s when we got our stories straight. He said we had to say exactly what he wrote or we’d go to prison. And that’s about when the other guy came into the office.”

  “What did the Captain say had happened?”

  “He said Max started a fight with us at Rex Mundi. Max hit Dick in the nose and Dick might have hit him back, but it was a reflex, kind of. We yelled at each other and that was it. Max left and we didn’t go after him. And if anyone saw us leaving we were to say we were on our way to the hospital to get Dick’s nose fixed.”

  “And the fight at the cemetery…?”

  “He said there wasn’t a fight at the cemetery because we were never there.”

  “What was your story about going to the hospital if someone asked?”

  “He told us that his son’s nose was bleeding and he ran his car off the road on the way to the hospital because he couldn’t see. That’s where me and Carl got our injuries.”

  “Did anyone interview you and record a statement?” Jack asked.

  “Yeah. Captain Dick and the other detective gave us each a copy of his notes about what happened and then they both recorded us.”

  “They both aske
d questions on the tape?”

  “Sort of. Yeah. Dick went first, then Carl, and then me.”

  “You were all together in the Captain’s office when you gave your statements. When the recordings were made?” Jack asked.

  “Isn’t that in your files there?”

  “Just answer the damn question, Dennis.”

  “Can I have some more to drink? I’m starting to hurt a little.”

  “Not until we’re done,” Jack said.

  “Yeah. We was all still in Captain Dick’s office. Olson and the Captain came in and they locked the door.”

  “Were there any other detectives or uniformed policemen around when you entered the police station? Did anyone see you?” Jack asked.

  “I remember one old guy—a detective, I guess—he was in the hallway and Captain Dick told him to make himself scarce.”

  “Okay, Dennis. Did you tell the truth to Captain Dick at the hospital?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did Richard tell his father the truth at the hospital about the fight at the cemetery?”

  “Yes.”

  “Was Max still alive when you left the cemetery?”

  “Yes. He was standing by his car.”

  Liddell had been standing behind Dennis the entire time. Liddell held up a recorder and gave Jack the thumbs-up.

  “Dennis James, did you kill Maximillian Day?” Jack asked.

  The answer was immediate. “Hell no, I didn’t. I never killed anyone. I know I been in all kinds of trouble, but I’m not a killer. Are we done here? I want to eat and get tucked in. I haven’t been sleeping too good. And I need to see the nurse at the jail. I’m not feeling too good.”

  Jack could see Dennis had broken out in a cold sweat and was trembling. Signs of withdrawal.

  “Just a couple more questions, Dennis, and then we’ll book you.”

  Jack slid the plate of food back to Dennis, but he didn’t seem to notice. His knees were pulled up to his chest, arms wrapped around his knees.

  “How did Captain Dick react when he came to the hospital that night?”

  “He was cool as a cucumber, man. I could tell he was out of sorts with his boy, but he never lost it like my old man woulda done.”

  “Did he find Carl?” Jack asked.

  “He must have,” Dennis answered and his trembling worsened.

  “Did Carl say where he’d been or did you ever find out?”

  “We never found out. The Captain never asked him about that while we were in that office and afterward when we’d talk to him he wouldn’t tell us. Or at least he didn’t tell me. Him and Dick—Richard—were besties, so he might have told him.”

  “Do you own a gun, Dennis? And don’t say, ‘Who, me?’”

  “Who—No, I don’t have one. I guess you saw that criminal reckless charge. That was a long time ago and I found that gun.”

  “You found it in the house you were burgling,” Jack said. “Have you ever seen Carl or Richard with a handgun or any type of deepwater diver’s weapon?”

  “You know about that?” Dennis hugged himself tighter, but the question had gotten his attention.

  Jack asked the question again. “Have you ever seen Carl Needham or Richard Dick with a handgun or any other type of weapon used by divers?”

  “Both of ’em was gun nuts and then Carl got Dick into deep-sea diving or was it cave exploring? They were always talking about guns. Richard brought one to school one time, but the principal called Captain Dick and that was the end of that. We was sophomores when that happened.”

  “Did you see what kind of gun?”

  “Yeah. Him and Carl called it a Dirty Harry gun. After those Clint Eastwood movies. I don’t remember much else, but it was one big badassed gun.”

  “Do you know the difference between a revolver and a semiautomatic, Dennis?” Jack asked.

  “It was like the ones you guys carry, but way bigger.”

  “You said they were both into diving. Did either of them have any weapons they would dive with?”

  Like a shark dart or a WASP.

  “I didn’t never see any weapons, but I heard about them all through our senior year. I guess they didn’t show me cause I’m not crazy enough to get in the water with a tank strapped to my ass. I heard stories from Richard and Carl about seeing sharks up close and them man-of-wars…and what do you call them big snake things with teeth?”

  “Moray eel,” Liddell said.

  “Yeah. Eels. Carl and Dick got their rocks off stabbing them things and anything else when they was diving. They used a shark stick like you see on that one James Bond movie. You stick a shark and it explodes. They particularly liked blowing up those electric eels and some big fish. Carl said it was better than sex.” He shook his head disbelievingly and said, “Nothing’s better than sex, man.”

  “Why is Carl Needham trying to kill you, Dennis?” Jack asked finally.

  “He’s cleaning house, man!”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Getting rid of anyone that’s a threat to him. Knows about what he’s done. I swear to you, Max Day was alive when we left that cemetery. Carl was the only one that didn’t stay at the hospital and next thing we hear, Max is killed. Head blown off. Only one of us capable of doing something like that and that’s Carl, man.”

  “You said Carl Needham tried to kill you. When was this, Dennis?”

  “That’s what I’m telling you, man. He’s after me. He set me on fire and… I don’t want to say no more. He’s crazy. You got to get me somewhere safe.”

  “What do you mean? Is that why your shoes are melted, Dennis? Did you see who it was?”

  “It was Carl, man.”

  “Did you see his face?”

  “Look, I was zoned. But I seen Carl. He was like a dark shadow. He asked me if I still smoked Camels. And he called me Denny. And then he lit me, man.”

  “Have you heard about a company called Monarch Investments?” Jack asked.

  “Nah, man. I don’t know nothing about investing.”

  “I warned you, Dennis. Out you go.” He grabbed Dennis’s arm to pull him out of the chair.

  Dennis pulled away and said, “I’ve been getting money to keep my mouth shut.”

  Chapter 47

  Every time Jack thought he had squeezed Dennis James dry, the man came up with another surprise, another avenue of investigation into other murders. If Dennis was telling the truth and if he knew what he was talking about, Carl Needham and/or Richard Dick had systematically killed three members of the Day family, and an ex-detective and attempted to kill Reina Day and Jack.

  He and Liddell left Dennis James happily eating and finishing the fifth of whiskey in one corner of the war room, while Jack called Captain Franklin and explained what Dennis James told them.

  Captain Franklin had a surprise of his own.

  “Jack, there was a house fire two hours ago. Three dead. Arson suspected. It was a drug den in the upstairs of an abandoned house. I’ll call narcotics and then bring the Chief up to speed. Sounds like your boy was in the house when the fire was started,” Captain Franklin said. “Good job. Sounds like we’re on the way to wrapping this up.”

  “Captain, do me a favor and hold off on telling anyone besides the Chief about Dennis James.” Dennis had given them a description of the vehicle he’d thought was following him, and of the shadow man who called him Denny and then set fire to him. “I’ll take care of Dennis James. The less people that know he didn’t die in the fire…”

  “Got it,” Franklin said. “You should know Channel Six is all over the fire. It won’t be long before they come snooping around here for a statement. I swear, we should hire Claudine Setera as an investigator.”

  “I don’t think she would keep her own name out of the news. She’s a camera hound just like the Deputy Chief. S
ir.”

  “Do we have enough for warrants for Richard and Needham, Jack?”

  “I have a witness that’s not too credible. I also have hospital records to back up Dennis’s account of the events that night. And, if the autopsy report is accurate on the time of death, Max died while Richard and Dennis were at the hospital. Dennis James said Carl Needham drove them to the hospital and disappeared. The thing with retired Captain Dick is pretty much verified now with the crappy statements that have Olson’s name as the interviewer and the Captain’s voice asking the questions. I can’t narrow the timing down with the statements because the only solid times are the hospital records.”

  “What about the shell company in Minnesota? Dennis told you he’s been getting money to keep quiet,” Captain Franklin said.

  “Dennis James is a silent partner in the company, but he didn’t know it. He believes he’s just getting hush money from Carl and Richard. The bank said the earlier small deposits in Dennis’s account were from a different source than Monarch, and I’m guessing that money came directly from Carl Needham, but Angelina’s still tracking that down. I guess if Dennis ever told someone what he knew, or if we started researching that twenty-grand deposit, Dick and Needham could say that was Dennis’s share of the company.”

  “But Dennis didn’t get that large amount until right after Richard talked to Mrs. Day and things started getting heated up again. Right?” Captain Franklin asked.

  “Right. The company was nonexistent until the day of the big deposit. To a reasonable man, it would appear Needham and Dick had opened a shell company to hide what the money was really for. I think we need more, Captain,” Jack said.

  “Do you have any leads on where Needham is? I think I can run down Richard’s location if you want to pick them both up for questioning,” Captain Franklin offered.

  Just follow a news van and you’ll find Double Dick.

  Jack said, “I need more time, Captain. What about Reina Day?”

  “I had two experienced plainclothes guys guarding her, but she threatened to file charges for police harassment. She called Chief Pope and told him she would get a restraining order if any of us bothered her. I posted a uniform car with two officers on her street. What is she playing at?” Franklin asked.