One Murder Too Many Page 15

  ‘We have a good many questions and only a dead man for answers, love. Where do we go from here?’

  ‘I think we need to view this case like a ladder. Lincoln is the bottom step, the one who did the dirty work. Next comes Ernie, but his motive is a debt to Martin. We should start with Martin and see where that leads.’

  ‘I agree with everything except your bottom rung of the ladder.’ At Kari’s inquiring look, Jason clarified. ‘The first step might well be the blackmail.’

  ‘You’re right … unless the letter was sent only as a ruse to throw us off track.’

  ‘That’s also a possibility,’ Jason agreed. ‘But we can’t know that until we find out who sent it.’

  ‘At least I’m no longer a target,’ Kari said carefully. Then with a worried look, ‘Does that mean you’ll be leaving me?’

  ‘Not until we know if this case is over and why you were a target,’ he assured her. ‘I intend to be a bother for a while longer.’

  That put a bright smile on her face. ‘I’m liable to hire someone to threaten me just to keep you here.’

  Jason laughed. ‘I believe we’ve enough of a problem trying to solve this mystery instead. I’d as soon not be grappling with intruders and having you dodge any more bullets.’

  ‘We’ll keep it simple then. As soon as I attend the police briefing and write my story, we will go find out what Martin has to say.’

  Gloria entered the judge’s chambers and found him sitting at his desk. He looked years older than he had a mere week earlier. The death of his son had hit him harder than she would have expected. Garth had always complained that Dom was shiftless, troublesome and too lazy to improve himself with college. Obviously their personal rift did not go so far as to a lack of love for the boy.

  ‘I suppose you saw the news last night?’ Gloria said. ‘Chock Lincoln is the man who killed Dom and Juno. Then he shot Hector Gomez so it would look like two gangs were at war. The handgun found in his room matched the bullets fired in both killings and the rifle is the one he used to shoot at the reporter.’

  ‘What motive did he have for shooting at her?’ Judge Westmoreland asked.

  ‘She saw him sitting in his car, a short way up the street from Juno and Dom’s house. He must have thought she could identify him.’

  ‘So the investigation is over?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And the blackmail?’ the judge queried.

  Gloria was stunned to silence. Her heart ceased to beat and the breath left her lungs. She struggled to regain enough poise and wind to gasp out the single word, ‘Blackmail?’

  Westmoreland waved his hand. ‘Oh, forgive me, I wasn’t supposed to say anything. It doesn’t concern you at the moment.’

  Gloria’s mind raced. ‘Blackmail always concerns a DA, Your Honor,’ she said professionally, recovering a degree of calm in both her voice and demeanor. ‘Does this have to do with Dom and Juno? Is that why their phones and computer were taken – someone accused them of blackmail?’

  ‘It’s a moot point now, Gloria. The case is closed. The killer of my boy is dead.’

  ‘Certainly. I understand.’

  As she stood expectantly, Westmoreland expounded a bit more. ‘There was an anonymous letter sent to the police, via the same reporter whom Lincoln took a shot at. It suggested someone in your office was involved in blackmail, one of your deputy attorneys. I’m sure it is nothing to worry about. As far as I know, the police found nothing to indicate there was any wrongdoing by your people.’

  ‘That’s a relief.’

  ‘Forget I mentioned it,’ he said. Then, after thinking on it for a moment, ‘Let the police finish their internal investigation and put the matter to rest.’

  ‘Of course, Your Honor,’ Gloria replied. ‘I won’t say a word.’

  Westmoreland offered her a jaded smile. ‘Thank everyone for finding my son’s killer. It doesn’t fill the empty place in my heart, but it is a relief to know the murderer is no longer at large.’

  ‘I’ll pass your gratitude along to the detectives,’ Gloria vowed. Then she said her goodbye and left the office.

  As soon as she reached the hallway she dug out the acid relief pills in her purse. A blackmail note! Who the hell could have sent a blackmail note?

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  KARI ATTENDED THE briefing and returned to her office to write up the story of Chock Lincoln – his crimes and his death. Jason didn’t go with her, but chose to visit the lead detectives at their office.

  Grady, seated at his desk was, as usual, the more communicative of the two. Hampton stood a few feet away, less than eager to share information with any outsider. Fortunately, he did not openly resent Jason’s interest in their case.

  ‘You’re saying both gangs were involved in the attack against Chock Lincoln?’ Jason posed the question to Grady.

  ‘Yeah, it smells to high heaven, but we’ve got nothing else. The gang unit said the news hit the street yesterday afternoon. By the time the information got to us, both the Lobos and the Hard Corps had sent a few of their soldiers to visit Lincoln. They caught him in the shower and beat him to death.’

  ‘You had no joy in finding this character, but the two gangs knew where to look. Does that not strike you odd?’

  ‘Everything about this strikes us odd,’ Hampton growled, breaking his silence. ‘We’ve been taken down a merry walk like a baby in a buggy! This was an orchestrated hit! Someone knew where Lincoln was staying and planted the weapons and computer in his room.’

  ‘Planted?’

  ‘They were under his bed, but all three items were completely free of fingerprints. Who wipes incriminating evidence clean and then hides it under his bed?’

  ‘Even so, you believe he is responsible for the killings?’

  ‘Found his mask and gloves,’ Grady said. ‘There were a couple strands of his hair embedded in the mask and we found gunpowder residue on the gloves and his shirt. We even matched blood from Dom and Juno on his shoes. Yeah, he was the killer all right.’

  ‘Do you have an explanation for the absence of prints on the weapons or computer?’

  ‘It’s like Ham said, they were planted.’

  ‘So Chock Lincoln may have had a partner in crime and that person did the double-cross,’ Jason postulated.

  ‘We’ve nothing but guesswork,’ Grady admitted. ‘It’s possible Lincoln wiped everything down because he intended to dump the evidence later.’

  ‘There is still the blackmail note. Have you uncovered anything positive along that line of inquiry?’

  ‘We did link one DDA indirectly to Chock Lincoln, but we’ve no evidence the two men ever met.’ He explained about DDA Martin and Ernie, the way the two had done favors for one another. He also said DA Streisand had stated she did not want to charge Lincoln because she feared there might be some racial backlash. He finished with, ‘We checked the records of all of the DDAs and found nothing. Martin had made a couple calls to a throwaway phone, but we can’t tie that in with Lincoln.’

  ‘What about the DA herself?’

  ‘You trying to get us fired?’ Grady carped. ‘She and Judge Westmoreland are good friends. No way he would sign off on checking her phone and bank records.’

  ‘Might I suggest you go to someone else.’

  Hampton stepped over to stand behind Grady. ‘All right, Brit.’ His tone was rigid. ‘What do you know that we don’t?’

  ‘Actually, I don’t know anything,’ Jason admitted. ‘But your lady DA has shown signs of – let’s call it curious behavior. Her interviews with Miss Underwood have closely resembled interrogations.’

  ‘A woman with power is often a little overbearing.’ Grady excused her aggressive tendencies. ‘Plus, she was bound to be anxious to solve the death of Judge Westmoreland’s son.’

  ‘I accept duty or friendship might be her motivation,’ Jason accepted. ‘But she and DDA Martin seem to share a rather cozy rapport – perhaps even an intimate relationship.’

&n
bsp; Hampton skewed his face in a scowl. ‘You know this for a fact?’

  ‘It’s more of an assumption from their mutual behavior.’

  ‘You mean a hunch,’ Hampton proclaimed.

  Grady was also skeptical. ‘That’s all you have?’

  ‘You just informed me that it was DDA Martin who dealt with the parole officer responsible for Lincoln not being charged for carrying a weapon. DA Streisand backs up his story by insisting the action was taken to pacify any racial organizations from accusing her of bias. What if the real reason for helping Mr. Lincoln was blackmail?’

  Hampton and Grady looked at one another. ‘I don’t know.’ Grady was the one to speak. ‘You’re treading on very thin ice, Keane.’

  ‘And if that ice breaks, me and Grady could end up walking a beat again,’ Hampton agreed. ‘We would be kissing our careers goodbye if we pulled the DA’s records and found nothing.’

  ‘I understand,’ Jason told the two men. ‘The blackmail note could be a fraudulent decoy, intended to dissuade you from following the correct line of inquiry. It’s possible there might never have been any blackmail at all.’

  ‘We will take your assumption to the captain and see what he thinks,’ Hampton promised. ‘Don’t hold your breath for a warrant.’

  ‘Thank you for entertaining Miss Underwood’s and my thoughts on this matter,’ Jason said, ending his visit. ‘Always a treat talking to you chaps.’

  ‘And you never cease to add to our headaches,’ Hampton shot back. ‘I’d wager the stock price on painkiller goes up in this country every time you visit.’

  The three of them laughed and Jason left the office.

  Kari was about to send her article to the editor’s desk when Jason walked up to her cubicle.

  ‘I hope I’m not being a bother, love,’ he apologized. ‘I just left the detectives and didn’t have anything else to occupy my time.’

  ‘I’m about done here. The story is ready to—’ She was interrupted by the phone ringing. She answered and discovered the caller was Rick Cory. Asking him to hold for a moment, she informed Jason of who was on the line. He remembered her telling him that Cory was the lead officer in the gang unit.

  ‘I’m told you had a busy night last night,’ she began the conversation with Cory. ‘Two gangs working together to kill a mutual enemy? That must be a first.’

  ‘And no witnesses saw anything … on the record,’ Rick replied.

  ‘Anything new on the Colombian drugs?’

  ‘My source has confirmed that the shooting at Liberty Park was related to the cartel. Those two bangers from the Lobos are lucky to be alive.’

  ‘Still no idea who the cartel is dealing with?’

  ‘No clue at all, Kari. I’m thinking they might not be working with a gang at all. This might be a single dealer, someone who knows the different gangs and can sell to them all.’

  ‘That’s a scary thought.’

  ‘Do you have your story written about Lincoln’s demise yet?’

  ‘I’m about finished,’ Kari said. ‘Is there anything you’d like me to add?’

  ‘Only that someone tipped off both gangs, before my source got the information to me. That’s the reason I was there. Radar contacted me as to the whereabouts of Chock Lincoln, but by the time I got over there it was all over.’

  ‘Did Radar tell you how he found out about the hiding-place?’

  ‘You know how informants work, they listen, they dole out a little cash for tidbits of information. Sometimes it pans out and we get lucky and sometimes we get the information too late.’

  ‘I understand.’

  ‘How about you and your pal?’ Rick asked. ‘Are you two any closer to finding this elusive drug connection?’

  ‘We’ve chased a few leads but have nothing concrete.’

  ‘You be careful about where you tread,’ Rick warned. ‘Those guys play for keeps.’

  ‘I’ll be careful,’ Kari promised.

  ‘If I find anything worthwhile I’ll be in touch,’ Rick said. ‘I’ve got a wife and daughter who live in this valley. We both have to keep trying to stop the drug traffic and make our streets safer.’

  ‘You’re a good man, Rick. I wish I could do a story on you, so everyone would know how much we all owe to the gang unit. Your work is dangerous and there aren’t a lot of rewards for your efforts.’

  ‘That’s us, the silent heroes, the ones you don’t hear about.’

  Jason motioned for her to give him the phone and she asked, ‘Can I put you on with my partner in crime detection?’

  ‘Certainly. Anything I can do to help.’

  ‘Officer Cory,’ Jason said and introduced himself. ‘I wonder if you would grant me the benefit of your street education?’

  ‘Shoot,’ Cory replied. ‘How can I help?’

  Jason removed a piece of paper from his jacket and asked, ‘Can you give me the definition of the following terms: hitting it; getting baked; and someone who is referred to as a fizzle?’

  Cory gave him the street interpretation for each and asked, ‘You aren’t thinking of going undercover as a gang banger?’

  Jason laughed at the idea. ‘Hardly that. I do thank you for your help.’

  ‘No problem. Keep our reporter out of harm’s way.’

  ‘I’ll certainly do my best. Goodbye.’

  ‘Are you trying to decode my notes?’ Kari wanted to know, as she put the phone back on its cradle.

  ‘It’s possible that Dom told you more than you realized.’ He tucked the paper away. ‘I’ll work on it later.’

  ‘Then you have nothing to add to my story?’ At the negative shake of his head, she clicked the mouse on the ‘Send’ icon on her computer. ‘Then I’m finished for the day. Let’s get out of here.’

  Gloria was scanning a list of cases on her desk when Dotty’s voice came over the intercom on her desk.

  ‘Call on line one for you, Gloria. It’s Judge Westmoreland.’

  Gloria grabbed up the phone at once. ‘Garth – Your Honor,’ she changed hastily. ‘I didn’t expect a call from you, not after our visit to your office. What’s going on?’

  ‘I got a rather troublesome call a few minutes ago, Gloria,’ (he didn’t concern himself about title proprieties). ‘Captain Mercer was inquiring as to whether the warrant I issued for your deputy DA’s bank and telephone records included you.’

  ‘Me?’ Gloria was aghast. ‘Why should anyone want to snoop into my accounts and phone records?’

  ‘It’s that ridiculous blackmail note,’ Westmoreland replied. ‘I told them I shouldn’t have issued the warrant at all, not when our only source of information was an anonymous note. It was my grief over losing Dom.’ He excused his action. ‘I was desperate to find out why he was killed.’

  ‘I understand completely,’ Gloria assured him, fearful he would ask her to give permission to look at her accounts. Quickly, trying to head off any such request, she stated: ‘Our own office has come to the conclusion that Lincoln somehow learned Dom and Juno had come into some money recently. His intent in going to their house was to rob them. We know he discarded or sold their phones and iPad, and he probably intended to sell the computer. He had bought some clothes for cash, paid for his room with cash, and we think he had a considerable amount of money in his room. How much we don’t know, as the gang members who killed him took whatever money they found. The only things they left behind were the weapons and computer.’

  ‘Hard to believe gang members would leave guns behind.’

  ‘We think it’s because they were in a rush to get away before the cops arrived. It’s likely none of them stopped to look under the bed, because they were there for revenge’s sake – to even the score for Lincoln killing Hector, Dom and Juno.’

  ‘Do the police have any suspects for Lincoln’s murder?’

  ‘No, and the assailants were all wearing gloves and ski masks. I doubt we’ll find any of the killers, unless we happen to get a confession from one of the gang somewhere
down the road.’

  ‘Then, as far as you’re concerned, this case is closed?’

  ‘Yes, Your Honor.’

  ‘Fine. I believe it’s best if we continue with our lives and put this all behind us.’

  ‘I’m sorry you lost your son over such a simple case of greed. Lincoln could have robbed Juno and Dom and been done with it. There was no reason to kill those boys.’

  ‘Thank you for your time, Gloria. I’ll be seeing you.’

  ‘Of course. Good day, Your Honor.’

  When the line went dead, Gloria immediately rang Martin’s office. He agreed to meet her after lunch, as he was due in court for a preliminary hearing on a hit-and-run case. She didn’t tell him what the meeting was about, knowing he might fall apart and not be able to perform the duties of his office.

  Then she sat back and began to rub her forehead. Would this never end? If Captain Mercer had asked Westmoreland about the warrant, his office must still be looking into the blackmail angle. She swore under her breath and lamented, ‘Why can’t anything work out the way I planned?’

  Jason and Kari found themselves in an imbroglio. The police were unable to pursue a blackmail angle, having no leverage for a warrant to look into the DA’s personal financial records. To this point in time, they had recovered no incriminating evidence to support the blackmail theory.

  As for speaking to DDA Martin, he had managed to dodge their visits and was not taking Kari’s phone calls. Deciding to take a more direct approach, they ambushed him as he was leaving the court room.

  ‘Chock Lincoln’s parole officer said you were the one who talked him into dropping the weapons charge.’ Kari challenged him with what information they had. ‘Now that he has been identified as a multiple murderer, do you think this will be used against Gloria Streisand in the upcoming election?’

  Martin was rattled, but he had a lawyer’s instincts. ‘It was considered a worthwhile effort at the time. No one can foresee the future when it comes to dealing with dangerous felons.’

  ‘You admit he was dangerous.’ Jason pounced on his term. ‘Yet you chose to intervene on his behalf. I daresay a person convicted of a minor drug or theft conviction would have seemed more worthy of your efforts.’