One Murder Too Many Page 16

  ‘Fifteen arrests.’ Kari outlined Lincoln’s offenses. ‘And he had a history of numerous assaults, car thefts and burglaries. Hardly the borderline case of someone who made a single mistake.’

  Martin had no reply, so Jason suggested, ‘Perhaps Lincoln was to return the favor in some way. He was tough, intimidating, physical—’

  ‘No!’ Martin snapped. ‘You’re trying to pin some kind of rap on me and I won’t have it!’ He spun toward Kari. ‘If you have questions to ask, make an appointment with my secretary. Don’t be pestering me while I’m in the middle of doing my job.’

  Kari displayed complete innocence. ‘We only asked you about a case in which you are a person of interest.’

  ‘I’m not a person of interest in anything!’ Martin cried. ‘I relayed the department’s concern about how it might look to return a man to prison within a few days of his release. Lincoln claimed he was concerned for his life. He was only protecting himself.’

  ‘Against whom?’ Jason wanted to know. ‘What did Mr. Lincoln have to fear?’

  ‘I don’t know. It was none of my business.’

  ‘Oh, but it was!’ Kari fired at him. ‘You are the one who got him released. Your name is listed as the contact who requested Ernie not to revoke Lincoln’s parole. You are involved whether you like it or not.’

  Martin began to walk faster, hurrying to escape. Kari and Jason kept pace and she renewed her verbal assault.

  ‘Someone tipped off the gangs as to where Mr. Lincoln was hiding,’ Kari hammered at him. ‘Were you privy to where he was staying?’

  ‘No!’

  ‘According to the word on the street, his whereabouts was leaked to both Jesse Ventura and Victor Orozco. Who else could have known where he was?’

  ‘I told you, if you want to talk to me, do it properly by making an appointment with my office.’ Martin did not hide his anger – and anxiety at her line of questioning. ‘However, this gangland violence is not my responsibility and I won’t discuss it any further.’

  Kari and Jason let the man go. He was practically running for the door.

  ‘That ought to get a reaction from Gloria,’ Kari said, wearing a crooked little smile.

  ‘He is definitely hiding something,’ Jason said. ‘Did you notice? He actually paled at the question of who might have contacted the two gang leaders.’

  ‘According to Rick Cory, it was an anonymous tip.’

  ‘A tip that happened to reach the gangs a full hour or more before Cory and the police got the same information.’

  ‘This isn’t over yet,’ Kari vowed. ‘I’m convinced the blackmail fits into this somewhere.’

  Jason adjusted his shoulder holster and smoothed his suit jacket. ‘I’ll be glad to be rid of this firearm,’ he said. ‘It’s rather cumbersome to carry about.’

  Kari grinned and wrinkled her nose. ‘It might be troublesome, but it’s a tremendous vote of confidence from our police department. That ought to make you feel special.’

  Jason couldn’t argue. He returned a smile and replied, ‘Quite.’

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  GRADY PUT DOWN the phone as the captain approached his desk. As usual, Hampton rotated about in his chair so that he would also be available for orders or conversation.

  ‘If I can no longer hear out of my right ear,’ the captain began, ‘It’s because DA Streisand has been screaming in it at the top of her lungs for the last ten minutes!’

  ‘What’s got her pantyhose in a twist?’ Hampton wondered. ‘She ought to be singing praises about us closing the case on two shootings and an attempted break-in.’

  ‘It seems Miss Underwood and the Brit have been making nuisances of themselves. They confronted DDA Martin and insinuated he was somehow responsible for Lincoln’s actions and possibly his demise as well.’

  Grady groaned. ‘Capt’n, we can’t control the press … especially our resident Lois Lane.’

  ‘It’s true,’ Hampton joined in with their defense. ‘The reporter has her own ideas about this case and there isn’t a thing we can do to change her mind.’

  ‘You mean the blackmail?’

  ‘A lot of things don’t add up,’ Grady said. ‘We’ve no motive for why Lincoln killed Juno or Dom; we get a tip-off about his whereabouts … long after both gang leaders were contacted, and we find a stash of loot and weapons that link Lincoln to the murders, except they are wiped clean of fingerprints!’

  ‘Then we have the letter about blackmail too,’ Hampton added to the enigma. ‘I don’t know about you, but Grady and me hate being manipulated like a couple of hand puppets!’

  Captain Mercer folded his arms, resolute, yet his features were pensive. ‘The thing is, men, Gloria wants this case closed and is about one breath away from filing a restraining order against Kari Underwood.’

  Hampton harrumphed at the idea. ‘Never happen. That would be handing over a truckload of ammunition to Paul Hanson. He could campaign on her abuse of power and denying the freedom of the press. She’d be a fool to actually follow through with something like that.’

  The captain remained in a bind. ‘What am I supposed to do? I can’t side with the reporter against our own DA, yet I can’t support the DA’s demand that I intervene and stop Underwood from investigating something we ought to be investigating ourselves.’

  ‘Let us try and work this out with the Brit and Kari,’ Grady suggested. ‘Maybe we can smooth this over enough to keep it from blowing up in all of our faces.’

  ‘We could put this all to rest if Gloria Streisand would allow us to look at her financial and phone records,’ Hampton said. ‘The woman is hiding something. Why else would she get so uptight over a few questions from a reporter? Especially questions that were not directed at her?’

  ‘I’ve tried my best,’ the captain informed them. ‘I asked the judge about a warrant and he said absolutely not. He didn’t feel we had enough evidence to support an investigation into something that might be a hoax and seems unlikely to have a bearing on our case at hand. He’s satisfied Chock Lincoln killed his boy during a robbery and then tried to make it look like part of a gang feud. In his mind, this is over and done with.’

  ‘What are your orders?’ Grady asked the captain.

  Captain Mercer took a stance. ‘Keep doing what you’re doing. But warn the reporter to stay away from the DA or her people, until such time as they have some hard evidence.’

  As her paramour approached her desk, Gloria waved Martin to take a seat. She didn’t feel like having him slobbering over her at the moment. He docilely took a chair and waited for her to speak.

  ‘I told you to refer the reporter or anyone else who questioned our actions to me,’ she began in a scolding tone of voice. ‘Now that nosy reporter has the police breathing down my neck. Underwood’s incessant interference has me so wired that I up and threatened to get a restraining order against her.’ She swore vehemently and buried her face in her hands. ‘How did this situation get so completely screwed up? It’s like being stuck in a soggy, slimy mire, and the more you struggle and try to get out, the more you are sucked deeper into the muck.’

  ‘I didn’t tell them anything,’ Martin mumbled, sniveling weakly. ‘I told you every word that was said when I called you. It’s just that … well, I think they have guessed the truth!’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous, Tony. They don’t know anything.’

  ‘They know enough to want a look at your records,’ he insisted. ‘And Judge Westmoreland told you about the police getting a warrant for my phone and financial accounts.’

  ‘Yes,’ Gloria admitted. ‘Garth inadvertently let that slip, but the action was taken before Chock Lincoln’s death and they came up empty.’

  ‘What are we going to do?’

  Gloria regarded him with a critical gaze. What had she ever seen in him? He was a moderately competent prosecutor, but as a human being he was a whimpering, spineless weakling. He had been eager to taste the forbidden fruit Gloria offered in an adul
terous affair, but he lacked the fortitude and strength of a real man. He had been an affectionate lover, but it was his sole redeeming character trait.

  ‘This has to end,’ Gloria vowed. ‘I can’t have a reporter looking over my shoulder while I’m running my re-election bid. She is bound to find something Hanson can use against me.’

  ‘What do you think happened to your fifty thousand dollars?’ Martin asked. ‘You think Dom and Juno hid it where it couldn’t be found?’

  ‘I don’t know. Maybe Lincoln found the money and kept it for himself. If he did, the gang members probably stole it from his motel room.’

  ‘And the pictures?’

  Gloria scowled. How could she possibly know more than he did? Sometimes she hated herself for ever cheating on Don. He was not attentive to her needs and had wrongly assumed that, because they both worked, it meant there was a degree of equality about their marriage. Except I paid for our house and two cars; I’m the one who inherited a fortune from my father!

  ‘Dom must have done as he promised and erased the photos,’ she said, hopefully.

  ‘If he did, then what about the note? Who could have sent the letter about the blackmail to the reporter?’

  How can I possibly know that? she about screamed at him. Instead, she held her temper in check and stuck to the problem at hand. ‘Our single concern at the moment is how to get Underwood and her British pal off of our backs.’

  Martin sighed impotently. ‘Too bad she didn’t find out some crucial information about the drug cartel, the one she wrote about. I’ll bet they would have known how to deal with her!’

  Gloria stared at him in amazement, as his casual statement sparked the glimmer of an idea. The notion caused her pulse to race. ‘Yes, the Colombian North Valley drug cartel. I remember her story.’

  ‘Supposed to be distributing drugs to nearly every gang and dealer in the valley,’ Martin went on offhandedly. ‘The commissioner said he had people looking into the rumor, but I’m betting the only ones doing any real undercover work is the special gang unit.’

  Gloria felt a rush of adrenaline. The burst of raw energy compelled her to stand up and begin pacing the floor. She wrung her hands anxiously, turning ideas over in her head.

  ‘Who did you tip off about Lincoln’s location?’ she asked, after two complete circles of the room.

  ‘You remember that ditzy blonde – I let her off on a prostitution and possession charge a month or so back, the one with snake tats on her neck?’

  ‘Selene or something?’

  ‘She’s the one,’ he said. ‘When I interviewed her, she said she knew a lot of bangers, including the gang unit’s snitch … Radar.’ He paused, but Gloria’s smoldering stare warned that she wanted more information. Martin hurried to continue. ‘I told her to put the word on the street so the Lobos and Hard Corps could take care of our problem.’

  ‘Who all did she tell?’

  ‘I’m not sure.’

  ‘You didn’t tell her about Radar’s connection to the gang unit?’

  ‘Of course not.’ He looked almost offended. ‘I told her to spread the word about Lincoln’s location. And when I asked if she knew anyone special, she brought up his name. He’s the one who called Rick Cory.’

  ‘Do you think Selene has any idea as to who is working for the cartel?’

  Martin blinked in confusion. ‘Not to name names, but she did say the cartel people seem to know everything that’s happening in the valley.’

  ‘Yes, they moved the location for their last exchange to Liberty Park. That’s not a place they would normally use, unless they feared someone was watching them or their usual hangouts.’

  ‘What good does that do us?’ Martin asked. ‘We have no information on who is handling their deals from either end. It’s a total mystery to the police.’

  Gloria walked over and stared out the window of her second-story office. She could see the busy street below, with people walking around as if without a care in the world. How wonderful that must feel. This burden of guilt had grown until she couldn’t eat or sleep. She had to end the misery of being scared all the time, fearful the truth would come out, afraid she would lose her job and even end up in prison.

  ‘Tony,’ she murmured softly, ‘There’s something I want you to do.’

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  IT WAS A day off from work. With Lincoln’s death, the case Kari had been covering was finished … as far as the Sentinel was concerned. Her blackmail theory had no legs, no facts, no credibility. Lacking the support of a judge, there were few grounds available for investigating a sitting DA. There was nothing left for Kari to do.

  Setting her suspicions and job aside, Kari decided to enjoy the warm spring weather and take Jason for a scenic drive. Her car had a new windshield and a couple patches over the bullet holes in the passenger side seat, but it had a full tank of gas and was running fine.

  The journey began with their driving to Provo, some thirty minutes south of West Jordan, then picking up Highway 189, which followed the Provo River up the canyon. There was still snow along the higher mountains, so the river was cloudy and the banks swollen from the melting snow. However the mountain terrain was covered with trees and endless flora, giving way in places to high rocky walls and wide ravines to either side of the road. Their tour continued as far as Heber, Utah, then returned via Deer Creek reservoir which, Kari informed him, was a favorite fishing spot for her father as a child.

  It was a pleasant day, the sun was shining and they had ample time to talk. One topic they avoided was the fact that Jason would soon return to England. This day was to be enjoyed, simply a sharing of their lives together. Along the route they stopped at different overlooks or scenic pull-offs, had lunch at a Burger King, and were back in the valley before rush hour traffic hit the main arteries.

  ‘You’re an excellent guide and hostess.’ Jason praised Kari as she pulled her car into her apartment parking stall. ‘I should enjoy visiting that other place you mentioned – Timpanogos Cave, the one with – what did you call them – Helictites and speleothems?’

  Kari laughed, as his pronunciation was completely wrong on both words. ‘I worked as a tour guide at the cave one summer, when I was paying my way through college. We’ll make that visit a priority for a summer trip, when we can drive the Alpine Loop. It’s even more beautiful than Provo Canyon, but it’s closed during the winter months.’

  ‘I wonder if.…’ But Jason became aware of three men. They suddenly appeared spilling out of a black SUV with darkly tinted windows. It had been parked in the visitors’ lot, where they could watch for Kari’s return.

  ‘Get down!’ he shouted.

  Kari, shocked by the harsh command, failed to react. Jason grabbed her by the upper arm, yanked her off the seat and pushed her down on the floorboards. Still confused at his surreal behavior, she covered her head with her hands and crouched as low as she could. Jason pulled his gun from the shoulder holster and ducked down on the seat.

  Even as he reached for the door handle bullets began striking the car, shattering the back and side windows. Slugs tore through the seat cushions and were embedded into the dashboard. There was a spray of flying glass and the thuds of bullets ripping through metal all around them. One round singed Jason’s flesh as it tore a path through the jacket at the top of his shoulder.

  The three men continued firing their semi-automatic rifles as they approached – one man to either side and one directly behind. Jason surmised they would continue shooting and keep him and Kari pinned down until they surrounded the car. Once they were even with the front doors, it would mean death for him and Kari both.

  Desperate to save their lives, Jason risked lifting his head up enough to glance into the side mirror. He spied the gunman approaching on the passenger side of the car. The shooter paused momentarily, having run out of ammunition from what appeared to be an M-19 assault rifle. He hurriedly removed one clip and began to reload with a second ammo clip. Taking advantage of h
is being preoccupied, Jason threw open the passenger door, leaned out and took aim. A single shot knocked that attacker to his knees. It also caused the other two to halt their approach. Obviously, they had not expected anyone to shoot back at them. Their surprise gave Jason time to reverse his body’s direction and reach the broken window on the driver’s side.

  With a hasty glimpse over the seat cushion, he saw that the gunman from directly behind the car had moved over to help his fallen cohort. The third man wavered, as he had stopped to check on his two companions. It was the last look he got. Jason quickly aimed out the window and put a bullet into his chest. The impact of the slug drove him backward and off his feet.

  With only one able attacker remaining. Jason scrambled out of the car, using the side of the car and its rear fender for cover.

  The gunman sprawled on the ground appeared lifeless, with his arms flung out to either side. The other two were trying to make it back to the SUV. They both had their backs to Jason as he popped up from his hiding place.

  ‘Hold on!’ Jason shouted, taking several quick steps in their direction, his gun ready to fire instantly. ‘Drop your weapons or die where you stand!’

  The injured man had already lost his rifle. The other, being caught in an undefendable position, had no alternative but to surrender. He cursed their bad luck and let his gun fall to the ground. Although he had one arm around his wounded comrade, he raised his other hand in the air.

  ‘Kari!’ Jason shouted over his shoulder, fearful she might have been hit. ‘Are you all right?’

  ‘Jason?’ Kari’s voice was uncertain, but she crawled out of the bullet-riddled car. She was visibly shaken, but appeared unharmed.

  ‘Call for help,’ Jason told her. ‘I’ll keep watch over these three.’

  Kari dug out her cell phone and dialed 911. Once the police were on their way, she contacted Grady.