Murder In Louisiana Politics

by Jim Riley

  When Paula turned her attention back to the other two, she saw the business end of two guns pointed directly at her. Niki grabbed the Smith & Wesson revolver from the table and Dalton held her very own pistol.

  "You're not getting out of here alive," Dalton told Paula.

  "I can put enough poison into your little friend here, she will be dead before either of you can pull the trigger," Paula responded.

  "But then, you'll be dead," Niki spoke for the first time.

  "You guys don't understand." Paula could not suppress the evil smile. "I'm already dead. I died a long time ago."

  "Drop the needle and we’ll let you walk out of here," Niki said.

  "Hah. You don't respect me to believe that, do you? Lady, I been lied to by the best, and you aren't much of a liar. That ain't one of your talents."

  Niki did not know how to respond. Her bluff had been called. She was out of moves, but she kept the Smith & Wesson pointed at Paula.

  Paula wrapped her free hand around Donna's neck.

  "Now, little lady. Me and you are going to back out of here real slow. Don't make any sudden moves or this poison will make sure it's the last one. Do you understand?"

  Dalton slightly nodded her head. Paula tugged on her, and the two of them edged through the door. The needle pressed against Donna's throat.

  "Don't either of you try to stop me," Paula said. "Me and the little doll here are going outside. If you don't follow me, I'll let her live. If either of you makes a move, then she dies. Understand?"

  Niki and Dalton nodded. Both kept their guns trained on Paula. The tension in the air was palpable. All four of the participants in this event were wound up tighter than a coiled spring.

  One errant move by any of them and the spring would pop like a rattlesnake. The result would be the death of at least one.

  "You guys stay where you are," Paula said to Dalton and Niki.

  "Where will you leave Donna?" Niki asked. "We can't let you take her way."

  "Right outside the door. She will be there unless I see a head pop out before you hear me drive away," Paula responded.

  Donna felt weak in her knees. She was scared she was about to faint. Her breaths became ragged and her eyes moist and blurred. She wondered if everyone felt this way right before they died.

  Paula pulled Donna through the office, and out the door, backing up with each step. When they reached Betty Devereaux's car, they stopped.

  “Please let me go,” Donna pleaded. “I'm not ready to die. I'm too young.”

  “I told them I would let you live, didn’t I?” Paula asked.

  "You did. Thank you."

  "Don't thank me. I lied." Paula plunged the needle into Donna's shoulder. Then she hopped into Betty's car and sped away.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Dalton rushed outside, leaving Niki struggling to rise from the sofa. He was already by Donna’s side before the injured investigator was erect.

  "Are you okay?" She shouted to Donna, who was leaning against the pickup truck.

  "She stuck me. She shot me full of poison after she promised not to." Tears flooded down the young lady's face.

  "You're going to be okay," Dalton said, kneeling beside his friend.

  "You don't have to lie to me. I heard what she said about the poison," Donna sniffled. "How long do you think I'll live?"

  "I don't know," Dalton grinned. "If you eat right, and get plenty of exercise, I'd guess fifty or sixty more years."

  "That's not funny," Donna wailed.

  "It’s true. She had no poison in the syringe. Well, maybe a trace or two, but not enough to kill you."

  "But I felt the needle go into my shoulder."

  "It was empty. I pushed all the poison out of it when I had the syringe behind my back. You don't think I'd actually inject Niki with poison, do you?"

  "Do you mean–?"

  "Exactly. She hit you with an empty syringe. There may have been some residue left, but not enough to hurt you."

  "The why am I feeling dizzy?"

  Donna slumped against the truck. Dalton hit the buttons on his cell. Sheriff Samson Mayeaux and an ambulance were both dispatched to the Bridgestone Exotic Ranch.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  "What happened?" Paula's companion asked.

  She had abandoned Betty's car in the middle of the parking lot at the only grocery store in Clinton. Her companion, Guido, picked Paula up in the van.

  "What did you do with the old lady?" she asked.

  "Dumped at the graveyard. I figure someone will find her tomorrow morning. By then, the bodies at the ranch should be cold."

  "There aren't any bodies at the ranch."

  A gasp escaped Guido.

  "What the hell are you talking about?"

  "Things didn’t go according to plan. I was lucky to get away," Paula answered.

  "You didn't kill either one?"

  "I killed a girl. She must work for Dupre. Anyway, she did before tonight."

  "You aren't getting paid to kill a bystander we know nothing about. You are being paid for Dupre and the senator."

  "It didn't work out." Paula read, her temper on edge. "Okay?"

  "No, it's not okay. You failed to do your job."

  "So what do you plan to do about it?" Paula asked the question although she already knew the answer.

  She was not surprised when the man pulled out a pistol very similar to the one she left behind at the ranch. He pulled into the empty parking lot at Clinton High School.

  "Get out," he ordered, keeping the barrel aimed at her chest.

  She obeyed and waited for him to circle around the front of the van. She almost laughed at his ineptitude. She could have dashed off into the darkness while the body of the van protected her. But she had other plans.

  "You're not intending to kill me?" She appeared to be astonished.

  "Don't worry," the man replied. "This was in the works no matter what happened at the ranch. You're a loose end and the boss can’t afford loose ends."

  The man closed the distance between them.

  "Walk over behind that dumpster," he said, pointing at the large gray bin sitting next to the building.

  "Why? What's in it for me?" Paula asked.

  "You get to live for a few more seconds. I could shoot you here, but then I would have to drag you over there. So, see. It's a win-win solution."

  "Then why don't I feel like a winner?"

  "You have potential. I could have taught you a lot. But unlike you, I fulfill my orders."

  Paula walked slowly toward the trash receptacle. She glanced up at the stars twinkling in the sky. Her nerves came to life again. A kill closed in.

  By the time the pair reached the dumpster, Paula walked on her toes. She could not contain a big smile. She slid around behind the bin with the companion pointing the pistol at her back.

  "That's far enough," he growled.

  "Are you sure? Look, is there anything I can do to change your mind?"

  Paula massaged her small breasts. The man's eyes widened and he gulped. This was an opportunity he had not counted on. Paula was not unattractive. She was slight of build, but her body was firm. He gulped again.

  “What you got in mind?” He stuttered.

  "Let's make a swap," he answered "I'll give you what you want, and then I’ll disappear. Nobody will ever know you didn't go through with it."

  "You'll stay out of sight?" He asked.

  "It beats being dead."

  "Yeah," he chuckled. "I can see your point."

  "Don't you want to see something else?" She undid the top button of her jeans.

  He stared at Paula's crotch. Drool appeared at the corners of his mouth. Then his head snapped up and he glared at her.

  "How do I know I can trust you? How will I know you won't come back and kill me?"

  "Because I will owe you my life. The only time you'll ever see me is if you want another interest payment on our deal."

  "Do you mean I can have you whe
never I want?" His voice cracked with anticipation.

  "Why not?" Lindsay gave him her best smile. "I will owe you my life. I believe in paying my debts."

  "I don't know," the man hesitated. "What if the boss finds out you're alive?"

  "Then I will take care of the boss. After all, killing people is my specialty."

  "I–I–I can't," he finally said.

  "Are you sure?" She smiled.

  "I can't take the chance." Sweat poured off the man's face. "I'm sorry. I've got to take care of business."

  He was standing only two feet from Paula when he pulled the trigger. The tip of the barrel was only a foot away from her chest.

  The click of the hammer falling caused Paula to wince, but not much. It had more effect on Guido, who was staring down at the weapon.

  Paula leapt. In the blink of an eye, she was behind Guido, a needle thrusting against his sensitive neck.

  "That's the difference between a professional like me and an amateur like you. I make sure I've got my own weapon."

  "You changed –"

  "Of course," she said before he could finish the question. "I figured the only reason they sent you to babysit me was to get rid of me after I did my job."

  "Look, we had a deal." The man's fear created a putrid smell even next to the dumpster.

  "Oh yeah. What was it again? Let's see. You were gonna have your way with me anytime you wanted. Is that it?"

  "Let's negotiate. You disappear, and I'll never say a word."

  "I've got a better idea." Paula plunged the needle into the man's neck. This syringe was full of the deadly poison.

  He collapsed against the bin, his hand yanking the syringe from his throat. But it was too late. Paula walked back to the van holding her own gun, the one which she had taken the firing pin out and switched with her companions weapon. She was still giddy despite her failure to kill the private investigator and the senator.

  She had been paid for the job, and she would finish it. But before then, she needed to track down the boss. She had a big score to settle, and the thought of doing exactly that made her nerves tingle again.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  "Will she be okay?" Niki asked anxiously looking over the shoulder of the medical technician who was tending to Donna.

  "She may be sick for a while. That was some potent stuff she got stuck with, and they went directly into her bloodstream."

  "Will she recover?" Dalton asked.

  "She should. Her symptoms will be much like a bad case of the flu until the poison works its way through her body. That will take a day or two as young and healthy as she is," the tech answered.

  "I thought I had gotten it all out of the needle," Dalton said.

  "Even if you had washed it, you wouldn't have gotten rid of every trace. You got enough to save her life."

  "Did you get a good look at her?" Samson Mayeaux asked, his structure overshadowing anyone else in the room.

  "Without a doubt," Niki answered. "I'll never forget her as long as I live."

  The strawberry blonde paused to put a hand on Donna's arm.

  "Which for a while tonight didn't appear to be very long. Donna and Dalton saved my life."

  Dalton and Niki gave Samson a detailed description of Paula. Niki even remembered the pink sneakers the assassin wore. They also described the nurse's uniform, which was different than the ones at Lane Memorial in Zachary.

  "Why is someone trying so hard to kill you?" Mayeaux directed the question toward Niki.

  "I have to believe it's because of the investigation into the congressman's murder," Niki answered. "Nothing else we are working on will rise to this kind of activity, unless Mrs. Mayberry is way too mad about me not finding out who is turning over her garbage cans on the sidewalk."

  "How old is Mrs. Mayberry?"

  "Eighty-six. She's about to have another birthday," Niki answered.

  "I think we can rule her out," Mayeaux looked down at his notebook.

  The huge man paced up and down the largest in like a tiger behind the case.

  "Did she say anything that gave you a clue who was behind this? Who hired her?"

  Dalton shook his head.

  "No clues, but it was obvious she was a hired gun. If she were successful in killing us, we would not have been her first victims. She's done it before somewhere and someplace."

  "It's also obvious someone knows where Niki is staying. I suggest you find another place for a while."

  "No, I'm not running. I'm staying right here if Dalton will let me," Niki protested.

  "We're not going anywhere. They tried to get to us twice and haven't been successful. I like our chances here better than any other place in the world." Dalton set his jaw.

  "The third time may be the charm, but not for Niki," Mayeaux continued pacing.

  The chief’s cell rang. He quit pacing during the brief conversation. When he clicked off, Samson's countenance was even more grim than before.

  "They found two bodies. One behind the dumpster at the high school and the other at the graveyard in Clinton. The one at the graveyard matches the description of the real nurse."

  "That means our little lady killed Betty Devereaux before she came here. Then she took care of a loose end that may have led us back to her," Dalton stated to no one in particular.

  "You may want to reconsider staying here," Mayeaux stated.

  "Let her try to come back again," Niki was defiant.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Friday morning

  Central

  Paula was not mad at the attempt to double-cross her on the job. She was still young, and others mistook that for a weakness. But while she was not old in years, she was wise in the ways of the world. Especially her world.

  She did not know the identity of her companion’s boss, but she knew he had one. Guido was not brilliant enough to set up the ambush with the fake nurse routine in such a short time.

  When she abandoned the van, the assassin took the registration papers and Guido’s cell phone with her. She assumed the van was stolen, but did not want to overlook the possibility the boss had been careless.

  When she got back to New Orleans, she took out the throw–away phone that still had more than thirty minutes of credit left. She began dialing the numbers. If someone answered, she pretended to be conducting a poll on the upcoming fall election.

  The first two number she dialed did not answer. The third was a bar owner in Jefferson. Paula asked some political questions, and then began a casual conversation. Before long, she knew the man was a bookie. Since the number was on the cell several times, Paula determined Guido was a regular gambler.

  Two more calls produced no helpful information. The sixth got her attention. The recipient was located in Central and had a personal interest in politics. Many other questions received more expansive answers than necessary. Five minutes into the call, Paula hoped she had found the boss.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Friday morning

  Bridgestone Exotic Ranch

  "I'm sorry I missed all the action," Drexel Robinson said between mouthfuls of seafood gumbo.

  Dalton’s cook did an excellent job for lunch, but Drexel was the only one with much of an appetite. Niki and Dalton stayed up much of the previous night giving statements to the police and talking over a plan of defense with Mayeaux.

  While the trace of poison did not kill Donna, it caused her to have a long night. High fever, chills, headache, and joint soreness kept her awake until well after sunrise. She was still asleep when the cook served lunch.

  "I wish you had been here," Dalton responded to Drexel. "The situation was ticklish at best."

  "One little girl got the drop on all three of you. What would have happened if you have run into an adult?"

  "She was adult enough for me," Niki chortled.

  "It appears she had a pretty good clue about what she was doing," Drexel admitted.

  "This is not her first time," Dalton took a sip of the
Cajun dish. "Now we have to find out who hired her."

  "Any news of the guy at the dumpster?" Drexel asked.

  "According to Mayeaux, he was a small-time crook in New Orleans. A couple of arrests for weed and burglary, but nothing in his record of murder," Dalton answered.

  "Maybe he was trying to move up the ladder," Drexel mused. "I guess he picked the wrong ladder."

  Niki struggled to stay focused on the conversation. Between the lack of sleep and the injuries to her aching body, her attention span incurred severe lapses. She toyed with an oyster in her gumbo while the guys talked.

  "Any connections to the girl?" Drexel asked.

  "Not yet. Mayeaux is getting some of his friends down there to run some traps, but he isn't optimistic about the outcome."

  "I bet someone in the Crescent City knows something about her. For her to pick up a job like this, she would have to already had some success under her belt. Mind if I go down there and poke around a little?"

  "You're only looking for an expense paid trip to Bourbon Street," Dalton chuckled.

  "The French Quarter is where most of the answers are found," Drexel responded. "I doubt the folks at the New Orleans Zoo are very familiar with her."

  "You start poking around down there, and you'll end up floating in the Mississippi. You'll be lucky if we find you before you get to the Gulf of Mexico."

  "It will be expensive. I'll have to throw little money around to get someone's attention."

  "Take what you need," Niki finally got involved. "That lady almost killed Donna."

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Friday night

  New Orleans

  Drexel checked into the Hyatt Regency hotel next to the Louisiana Superdome. It is one of the more elegant establishments in New Orleans only a few blocks from the historic French Quarter, the most famous tourist mecca in the state.