DEAD SET: Detective Jack Creed Mysteries - The Complete Short Stories Collection: 7 Book Box Set (Detective Jack Creed Murder Mystery Books Series 9)

by C T Mitchell

  “We can always hope and trust in your superior bad cop interrogation skills,” Jo said.

  Jane came in holding a beige envelope. She waved it around before handing it over to Jack. “I had them do a rush on toxicology. It’s surprising how fast the police system can work when a famous person is the deceased.”

  Jack and Jo scanned the report. Everything was listed ‘negative’ until they got to one -- cocaine.

  “An OD?”

  Jane shook her head. “The levels weren’t high enough to kill him. Look at the second page.”

  Jack flipped the page and once again went through the “Negative” until he came across a single “Positive.”

  “What is this?” Jack pointed to a name he did not recognize.

  “It’s a poison,” Jane said. “It hasn’t been used in years which is why it’s so unusual for it to show up in the Mayor’s toxicology report. The poison’s actions mimic a heart attack which is why someone could easily think that was the cause of death.”

  Jack leaned back in his chair and let out a slow sigh. “Our seethescandal night club perp was already locked up with the Mayor kicked the bucket. Which means we have a second killer on our hands. Jo, go see if we can get a warrant on the mayor’s house.”

  “I’m on it!” Jo promised.

  After Jo left, Jack’s shoulders slumped and he rubbed his weary eyes. Only moments ago he had been so sure they caught the person responsible for the video seller’s death and no one else would have to die. Who could hate the mayor enough to want to kill him? Could the mayor have known something that would have brought the killer down? Just how embroiled in this entire scandal was the video seller and the mayor? Who could the supplier possibly be? If there was poison in the mayor’s drugs, the same could have been distributed to anyone else who crossed paths with the seller.

  Jack grabbed his phone and punched the number to the poor rookie cop assigned desk duty. “I need you to call the hospitals and tell them to call me if anyone else shows up sick or dead,” Jack barked into the phone. “We already have a situation on our hands; we don’t want to make it worse.”

  “Yes, sir,” the rookie cop said. “Is there anything else I can do?”

  “Bring our suspect in custody into the interrogation room,” Jack said. “He has a lot of explaining to do.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Jack walked into the interrogation room where the suspect sat with his arms crossed on his chest. Jack couldn’t tell if this was all a tough act or if the suspect really did think of himself to be that rough and tumble. Jack hoped this rough looking individual would be willing to crack and spill all the information he had for a chance at a reduced sentence. Without his information, they really didn’t have much to go on.

  Jack slid the folder onto the table and noticed how the suspect watched it.

  “You know you’ll to jail for a long time for what you did,” Jack began.

  “Yeah,” the suspect grumbled.

  “You do know your rights, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, and I don’t need some dumb lawyer!”

  “Your choice.” Jack placed his hand on the folder. “If you’re willing to talk and give me the information we need, I can see about asking the lawyer to offer you a reduced sentence.”

  The suspect raised an eyebrow. “How much of a reduced sentence?”

  Jack forced back a smile. He knew the suspect had taken the bait and now it was time to reel him in. He pulled out a chair, intentionally making it scrap across the bare floor, before sitting down. “I’ll have to speak to the lawyer about that, but if you tell me what I need and it checks out then we have a deal. If it doesn’t check out, no deal. You know about the video of the mayor at that cocaine party.”

  “Yeah, who doesn’t.”

  “Do you know who the people in the video are?”

  “I didn’t know them very well. The mayor is the one who really knew them.”

  “Due to the drug parties?”

  “That too. That little canary shouldn’t have sold that information.” The suspect frowned and folded his arms across his chest again.

  “Did you know the mayor well?” Jack asked.

  “Well enough. We were friendly.”

  “Was he your friend?”

  “Yeah, I guess you could call us that.”

  “Can you give me the names of those other so called friends on the video?” Jack drummed his fingers on the metal table. “You wouldn’t want them to walk while you take the fall, would you?”

  The suspect leaned back and eyed Jack. “Maybe once I get my reduced sentence you’ll get some names.”

  Frustrated and yet suspecting this could happen, Jack climbed out of his seat and stood up. “I already told you the terms of the deal. If your information checks out, then I speak to the lawyer. No info, no deal. Perhaps some time back in your cell would help loosen your tongue.”

  Picking up his folder, Jack walked out the door. He was almost immediately met by Jo.

  “Dr Russell said to find you,” Jo said. “She may have found something.”

  Heading towards the forensics lab, Jack and Jo found Jane in her office with some sheets of paper and a few images that were lighted by small florescent lights.

  “What do you have for us?” Jack asked.

  “I was able to get some information on the poison used to kill the mayor,” Jane said.

  “Do you have an approximate location for us?” Jo asked hopefully.

  “I can do better than that,” Jane said. “I can give you an exact location. Are you familiar with that chemical plant in Tweed Heads? Our poisoner either stole it or works there.”

  “Let’s go pay them a visit,” Jack decided.

  *****

  The chemical plant was huge in Jack’s opinion. What were they making in there that possibly needed that much space? A man exited a door as if to greet them as Jack and Jo walked up to the main entrance of the plant. The worker looked a little surprised to see a police car sitting out front, let alone two police officers loitering by the entrance, but he attempted to be polite.

  “Can I help you?”

  “We’re investigating a murder.” Jack flashed his badge. “Someone in your company may have something to do with it.”

  “How so?” the man asked.

  “We’ve linked a chemical used in the murder to this very plant. Do you think we could speak to your workers?”

  “If you must” He opened the door and let Jack and Jo in before shutting the door behind them. Inside, the plant was humming with activity. People seemed to be in constant motion. There was no way this man could possibly get their attention in order for him to ask questions, Jack thought. He thought wrong.

  Stepping away from them, the boss man switched to a booming voice that would impress a drill sergeant. “Everyone pipe down! These police officers need to speak to you! There’s been a murder and one of you might know something--anything -- that could help the case.”

  “Who’s the stiff?” one of the workers pipped up.

  The boss man frowned. “Watch your mouth! Have some respect for the dead! I expect each of you to cooperate with the cops now, ya hear?”

  There was a low “yes, sir” mumble from the crowd.

  “They’re all yours,” the boss man said with a sweeping ‘have at them’ gesture.

  *****

  The beginning of the interview process was slow and tedious. Jack did the interviewing while Jo did her best to talk cheerfully and make the workers waiting to be interviewed let their guard down. In the process, Jo noticed one person fidgeting uncomfortably. At first she suspected the fidgeting was due to staying so still or perhaps even wanting to go to the bathroom. The longer the worker fidgeted, the less it seemed like a simple explanation.

  Jo leaned over and snapped her fingers to get Jack’s attention. “Is it me or does that man in the black look suspicious? He won’t stop fidgeting.”

  “Only one way to find out,” Jack said. “Go around on
e way and I’ll go the other and we can catch him.”

  “Right” Jo started to move.

  At first, the strange worker didn’t seem to notice how the officers were moving. Once he noticed Jo walking on one side and Jack the other he tried to run.

  “Freeze!”

  Jo broke out into a sprint after the man followed by Jack. Jo managed to grab the back of the man’s shirt followed by Jack tackling him.

  “Get your hands behind your back!” Jack ordered. “Why did you try to run?”

  “I want a lawyer!” the man shouted.

  “We’ll get you one but for now you’re under arrest.” Jack snapped the cuffs tightly around his wrist. “We’re taking you back to the station.”

  CHAPTER 6

  The chemical plant worker hauled into a questioning room and the hand cuffs were removed. Jack entered with a frown on his face--the usual start to his ‘bad cop’ routine.

  “Where’s my lawyer?” the plant worker asked.

  Jack sat down across from him at the cold, metal table. “Your lawyer will be arriving shortly. In the meantime, do you want to start talking?”

  The worker eyed Jack suspiciously but said nothing.

  “We tracked the poison used in the mayor’s murder to the chemical plant you work at,” Jack continued.

  “So?” the worker said defiantly. “What’s that got to do with me?”

  “You’re linked to the poison which means you’re going to jail for a long, long time.”

  Sure Jack didn’t have any hard and fast evidence linking this particular worker to the poison, but he didn’t need to know that. The more perps though you knew, the faster they started talking.

  His eyes grew wide. “No! It’s not like that! It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me!”

  Placing his hands on the table, Jack leaned over and said in his best sinister authority voice: “If not you then who? We reviewed the video of the mayor’s drug binge. You were there! You’re clearly on the video so you’re looking at least a possession charge if not sale and murder tied in.”

  The suspect shook his head. “There’s more to it than just that!”

  “Then tell me or you’re going to be locked away for a long, long time. You do understand what they do to people like you in prison, don’t you?” Jack added. “It’s not a pretty sight.”

  “Listen, it’s not what you think,” the suspect insisted again. “The mayor bought the poison himself!”

  Jack shook his head. “Do you think I’m going to fall for something as stupid as that?”

  “It’s true!” He widened his eyes so they filled up half his face. “You need to believe me!”

  “And why should I?” Jack sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. “What proof do you have?”

  “Emails!” His hand shot out to try to grab Jack’s sleeve, but Jack brushed him aside. “I have e-mails. Loads of them. They back up my story.”

  What emails?” Jack tried to play it cool even though he could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He was close to a breakthrough, he could feel it, but he needed to keep calm or the suspect would pull back the tantalizing e-mails carrot he held out in front of him now.

  “If you get me a computer or phone or something with internet connection, I’ll show them to you,” the suspect said. He waves his fingers in the air as if he was already typing in a username and password. “The mayor wrote me. I can prove it. I didn’t do anything to him. He did it all himself.”

  As much as Jack wanted the information, he knew it would be better to let this creep stew for a few minutes. It might loosen his tongue a little more. For added acting, Jack left the room and shut the door in an exaggerated gesture without saying a word on whether they’d get him a computer or not.

  “That was quite the act,” Jo said when he came to stand next to her on the other side of the two way mirror. “Real award winning material there, Jack.”

  Jack laughed and ran a hand through his hair. “What can I say? The Academy loves me.”

  “Should we get him the computer?” Jo asked.

  “Let him stew for a while but it’s the best thing we have going for us right now.”

  Jack and Jo both watched from the other side of the two way mirror as the suspect sat in that uncomfortable looking chair and begin to fidget. He’d then stand up, pace nervously around the room, and sit down again. This process repeated itself a few times. Jo couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Seriously, Jack, go back in there and put the poor guy out of his misery. If he has the info we need, great. If not, there are plenty of other charges to keep him here and talking for a long time.”

  Jack disappeared briefly to collect an old, beat up laptop from the supply room. He re-entered the interrogation room, sat across from the suspect, opened the laptop, booted it up, and slid it across the table. “Give me your username and password first but then it’s all yours. Clear your name if you can.”

  The suspect’s hands flew across the keyboard as he typed in his information. Once he was in his throwaway email account, he turned the laptop around to show Jack. “There! See? He didn’t even bother to make up a fake sounding subject line. He got right to the point.”

  Leaning in, Jack read the subject line, “‘The poison’. Who is M. L.?”

  “It’s the mayor’s alias. You don’t think he’d be so dumb as to use his real name, do you? He may write absolutely rubbish subject lines, but he wouldn’t dare use his real name. Not for the stuff we got up to.”

  “I’ll pretend not to have heard your sarcasm.”

  The suspect shrugged, his eyes bright as if he sensed he was almost off the hook. “But the mayor wasn’t buying the poison for himself. He wouldn’t tell me who it was for, but he didn’t intend to off himself.”

  “Are you telling me the mayor was going to murder someone?”

  “I’m telling you I didn’t know his whole plan, just that it wasn’t meant for him,” the suspect said. “I needed the money selling the poison would get me. I have debts. No use everyone suffering for one man’s poor choices.”

  Jack decided to switch gears since the suspect finally seemed to be in a talkative mood. “Did the mayor know he was being filmed?”

  “Not until it was too late.” He shrugged again. “We all thought it was a joke as people do stuff like that, you know. Pretending to film a situation for laughs. Sell it to the highest bidder. That sort of thing.”

  “What happened when it was discovered the video was real?”

  The man ruffled a hand through his already messy hair. “The mayor’s aid tried to buy it off the guy selling it. At least that was what I was told. There was something about offering money, drugs, even a new car in exchange for the footage. The seller kept demanding more and said the payment wasn’t high enough. I don’t know what he was demanding or trying to blackmail the mayor for.” The suspect shook his head, “It must have been something big or important. The mayor and his aid either couldn’t or wouldn’t come up with what the seller was demanding which is why he put it on the open market. It takes a real cold heart to do something like that.”

  “Indeed.”

  “Do I get my reduced time for all that?”

  “That’s up to the court system,” Jack said. “I’ll see what my guys can do, though. The more you talk, the better the deal.”

  The suspect nodded, seeming to resign himself to helping being better than doing time for who knows how long. “I got more.”

  “And I’ve got time to listen.”

  CHAPTER 7

  “Jo, you’re better with computers than I am.” Jack handed the laptop to Jo. “See what you can do with this.”

  Jo laughed. “Did you freeze it or something? Blue screen of death?” Her smile faded when she saw the e-mails pulled up on the screen. “Poison? Video? Do we have permission to access these files?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Jack, you know we can’t look at these without permission!”

  “Jo, right now it’s ou
r best lead,” Jack said. “We need access to the mayor’s other e-mails.”

  “If he does have anything in e-mail form it’s probably from a throw away account,” Jo said. “He wouldn’t use his official account for something like this when it would open him up to high risk of exposure.”

  Jack motioned at the laptop. “Just see what you can find. We’ll worry about the rest later.”

  *****

  Jo didn’t really know what to expect as she went through each e-mail. So many of them were sent to the same address and with the same type of communication. It had to be code for something as none of them really provided much in the way of news. “Had a baby boy…” one e-mail began. That caught Jo’s attention. She heard of people using code like that where the person would pick out certain letters to spell out a message. She brought the find to Jack.

  “You better have good news,” Jack said.

  “Are coded messages good news?” Jo asked. “You know those codes where someone says their loved one had a baby and so on? There’s one of them in the emails.” Jo motioned at the computer screen. “My best guess is something about a drug shipment.”

  They reviewed the emails together. “Hey, scroll back up!” Jo said when a subject line caught her attention. “Look at that one! It looks like information for that treatment center that just opened up.”

  At first it appeared to be a standard e-mail with the fancy script and an image of the treatment center up at the top of the page. It then opened into a letter head that began with “Dear John.” The mayor had been clearly using an alias to avoid suspicion and detection. He also seemed to be searching for information and treatment for his problem.

  Do you keep the patient’s names private? Will anyone know where I have gone to? How long do the treatment options last? What are your latest treatment options? How state of the art are you? Do the patients have private rooms?

  Jack closed out that one e-mail and opened up another from a day earlier. “Will the shipment arrive by tonight?” He read out loud. “The e-mail is to a trucking company.”