One Murder Too Many Page 3

  The smile faded at once. ‘Oh! I didn’t know.’ She lowered her eyes, abashed at being so forward.

  ‘It isn’t something I wanted bantered around,’ Jason went on, trying to ease Hermione’s humiliation. ‘The young lady actually lives in America.’

  That prompted a curious look. ‘America?’ Then with a shake of her head. ‘How on earth do you carry on a significant relationship with someone who’s three thousand miles away across the blinking ocean?’

  Jason laughed. ‘It does pose certain intimacy problems.’

  ‘But you’re committed to her?’

  ‘Yes. I believe she’s worth the effort.’

  The young lady’s face brightened and her lips lifted in a slight smile. ‘Then I’m happy for you, gov. I hope it works out.’

  Relieved at her tactful response, Jason returned her smile and spoke sincerely, ‘Thank you, Hermione. I hope you find someone special too.’

  Juno Orozco took a drag on the rolled marijuana and glowered at Dom. They had been partying a few minutes before, but now their small rental house was empty except for the two of them.

  ‘Man,’ Juno complained, ‘you got to quit roughing up your piece of tail. We could have had fun with them two slamming babes all friggin’ night.’

  ‘The silly biznatch got all hostile every time I tried to touch her,’ Dom growled back. ‘You’d think she had never given up her gold or something. I know that, when Lana was hangin’ with your cousin he was always beatin’ dem cakes.’

  ‘Victor has the power, man,’ Juno replied. ‘You don’t get to be Caudillo over the toughest gang around without you prove yourself. Victor’s done it all, man.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before,’ Dom said sourly. ‘Victor’s the king.’

  Juno passed the half-burned weed to Dom and picked up the bottle of tequila. ‘All I’m saying is you got to back off of being so rough. There ain’t many chicks who like getting knocked around till they’re black and blue.’

  ‘I hear you.’ Dom snorted. ‘I blew it tonight. I should have waited until she got her swerve on first. Once she was flying, she’d have come around easy.’

  ‘You got it, man. Remember the four Fs: find ‘um, feel ‘um—’

  ‘Awright,’ Dom cut him off. ‘Just skip to the forget ‘um part and we’re down.’

  Juno paused from taking a drink and belched loudly. ‘Hope Victor don’t hear about that reporter snooping at our door. He’s real touchy about anyone talking to the press.’

  ‘Hey, man, we didn’t tell her squat.’

  ‘No, we didn’t,’ Juno agreed. ‘But it’s the idea, you know? Someone sees a reporter paying us a visit – next thing, we’re getting our throats cut.’

  ‘If you’re worried ‘bout it, call your cousin and give him the down low. He’ll be cool with the way we handled her.’

  ‘Yeah, maybe I’ll do that later.’

  ‘This having extra coin to spend is great.’ Dom dropped his gangsta chatter and grew serious. He bobbed his head at the new television. ‘Our two paychecks were barely covering the rent and eats. Taking that gal for a pile of money was a great idea.’

  ‘You bet. We’ve got it made now – new TV, an Xbox 360 and all the games we want.’ Juno displayed a smug expression. ‘So long as we don’t get too greedy, that cash cow is going to give us a healthy portion of milk for a long time.’

  Dom grinned. ‘Never knew so little work could pay so good.’

  Juno started to laugh, then sat upright and gasped in alarm.

  A bullet hit him in the middle of the chest, stifling his cry. He was driven back against the worn cushions of the old couch as a second round tore through Dom’s throat. Both of them were drunk, stupefied from booze and the joint they had been smoking. Giving them no chance to escape or fight back, two more slugs ripped holes through each of their bodies. In a matter of seconds, both of their lives had ended.

  Kari had accepted a dinner invite from her parents. As usual, they were concerned about her being so doggedly faithful to a man who lived across an ocean.

  ‘Have you given any thought to that nice young man I introduced you to the other day?’ her mother asked, after the meal was finished.

  Kari was helping with clearing the table at the time. ‘I imagine he will be a good catch for some girl.’

  ‘Listen, daughter,’ her father joined in, still in his kitchen chair but no longer sitting at the table. ‘When you turn thirty you’ll find that men are like parking spaces – all of the good ones are gone, and the rest are handicapped!’

  ‘I believe I saw a bumper sticker to that effect,’ Kari quipped. ‘Are you no longer writing your own material?’

  ‘We just don’t like to see you pining over a man you will only see for a week or two each year!’

  ‘You both wanted me to be in a relationship,’ Kari reminded them. ‘Well, this is the one I’ve chosen.’

  ‘Yes, but to what end?’ her mother wanted to know. ‘Where does this relationship lead?’

  ‘We haven’t decided yet.’

  ‘How do you know Jason isn’t seeing other women?’ her father inquired.

  ‘I trust him completely.’

  Her mother frowned. ‘But he could be dating other girls, while you are sitting at home writing letters or waiting for his telephone call!’

  ‘I’m happy with my life right now.’ Kari dismissed their concern. ‘I fully understand that Jason is a wonderful man and other women might try to take him from me. But I intend to follow my heart until Jason and I find a way to be together. If that doesn’t happen, I’m willing to enjoy the closeness we share right now.’

  ‘An incurable romantic,’ her mother scoffed. ‘Who would have ever thought that of you?’

  Kari winked. ‘I’ve seen the kind of love you and Dad have. It’s what I want too.’

  ‘Yes, but we weren’t in different time zones when we were courting,’ her mother retorted.

  ‘I saw your article in the paper.’ Her father changed the subject. ‘Drug crops being grown in the hills, a drug cartel supplying drugs to be sold on the streets and even in our schools. It’s enough to make us want to move, except there’s no place free of those vices any more.’

  ‘It’s getting worse all the time,’ Kari said, anxious to turn the conversation away from her love life. ‘One or more of the local gangs has an affiliation with the Colombian North Valley Drug Cartel, one of the biggest in all of Colombia. My editor won’t let me name any names, because I can’t get the proof I need.’

  ‘I think you’d best stay away from that kind of reporting,’ her father said. ‘Those people working with the cartel play for keeps. You start poking at them with a stick and they’ll do whatever it takes to shut you up.’

  ‘You and my editor would get along nicely,’ she remarked drily. ‘He said the same thing.’

  ‘Yes, well, even the government won’t take on the gangs and drug lords. Every time they’ve tried it cost a fortune in money and lives and the results were nil. So long as people of all classes are hooked on drugs, and there’s a ton of money to be made selling the stuff, there won’t be enough law enforcement to stop the flow into this country.’

  ‘It doesn’t mean we should look the other way.’

  ‘No, but it is best if you leave it alone,’ her father warned. ‘I’d rather see you move to England and marry the Brit than get involved in something that might get you killed.’

  ‘Not to worry, Father. I drew a blank on my personal quest for information and Scott won’t let me write anything critical enough to warrant a reprisal.’

  ‘If you can stay for a while, we’ll put on a movie and have some popcorn later,’ her mother spoke up. ‘We haven’t watched While You Were Sleeping for a long time and we know it’s one of your favorite movies.’

  ‘Yes, it is, but I have some laundry to do at my apartment, and I have to finish an article on drunk drivers.’

  ‘You know you’re welcome anytime, daughter,’ h
er father said.

  She smiled. ‘Yes, Daddy, I know.’

  CHAPTER FOUR

  KARI TOOK NOTES at the morning news briefing. The bodies found were known to have been involved with the Hard Corps gang. The speculation was that this had been an attack by a rival gang. The blanket statement didn’t satisfy Kari. She waited until after most of the other reporters had left, then cornered Detective Louis Grady.

  ‘I presume this is your case, Detective,’ she said in greeting. ‘I mean, you and Detective Hampton are the two premier investigators in the valley.’

  Grady was genial, in his mid-thirties, carrying a few extra pounds; a happily married man who enjoyed his three kids. When it came to business, however, he was a professional and ignored her flattery.

  ‘I don’t have any additional information for you, Miss Underwood.’

  ‘It might interest you to know I spoke to those two boys yesterday afternoon.’

  He narrowed his gaze. ‘And why would you be talking to them?’

  ‘I was concerned about the rampant increase in drugs in the valley. I’ve got it from a credible source that one or more of the gangs is actually working with a Colombian cartel. It’s rumored a major shipment comes in from Colombia every month.’

  ‘And what did the two victims tell you about the drugs and the cartel?’

  Kari sighed. ‘Absolutely nothing.’

  Grady accented the feebleness of her efforts with a snort of contempt.

  ‘But it did appear that they had come into some money recently,’ Kari pointed out. ‘The big-screen television looked brand new and they were hooking up one of those expensive game players.’

  ‘Do you enjoy living dangerously?’

  ‘Not really,’ Kari admitted, then asked, ‘but it’s true about the monthly shipment, isn’t it?’

  ‘No comment.’

  ‘One of the two dead men is the son of Judge Westmoreland,’ she challenged, looking for any shred of information. ‘I’m sure the judge had something to say about this attack.’

  ‘I’m not at liberty to quote anything the judge might have said during notification. If you sit tight and wait, I imagine he will comment on his loss publicly.’ Grady’s words were brusque, allowing his personal feelings to surface. He quickly masked his unease over the double murder. ‘If this was the action of another gang, we’ll find out who’s responsible.’

  ‘Come on, Detective,’ Kari pleaded. ‘I need something extra so my editor will let me stay on the case.’

  Grady’s lips curled upward in a smirk. ‘I don’t see a down side for me if Scott should assign someone else.’

  ‘I was the one who helped you crack the Coin Killer case.’ She referred to the serial murderer’s nickname, awarded to him after the public learned of a quarter being placed in each of his victim’s mouths. ‘You owe me.’

  ‘Your British boyfriend had a hand in helping you with that.’

  ‘Anything you can give me would be greatly appreciated,’ she continued her entreaty. ‘Anything at all.’

  Grady’s stance weakened and he exhaled a breath in resignation. ‘It appears someone entered the house and shot them both. The two vics were stoned on dope and tequila. It’s clear neither of them was able to put up a fight.’ He shrugged. ‘No one saw anything, and the sound of gunfire in the Rose Park area isn’t exactly unheard of. Most people who live on that street tend to duck for cover when a shot’s fired, rather than run to the window and look to see what’s happening. No witnesses have come forward as yet.’

  ‘The judge’s son was not a member of any gang. Do you believe he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time?’

  ‘No comment.’

  ‘But Juno was a gang member … right?’ she persisted. ‘I mean, his cousin is the leader of the Hard Corps.’

  ‘No comment.’

  Kari showed her irritation by placing her hands on her hips and glaring at the detective. ‘Is there anything at all you can tell me?’

  ‘Your mascara is uneven,’ he quipped.

  ‘Thanks,’ she said sourly. ‘But you might want to be more accommodating.’ He perked up like a hunting dog as she went on. ‘It just so happens that I have some juicy information, and I’m tempted to make you wait until you have to read about it in print.’

  ‘You said you got nothing when you interviewed Juno and Dom.’

  ‘Nothing from them, but I might have something for you to look into.’

  ‘All right,’ Grady finally relented. ‘The only odd thing about this attack is that the killer trashed the place. Don’t know what he was looking for, but he took the victims’ laptop computer and their cell phones.’

  ‘That sounds like more than a simple hit.’

  ‘It’s all I’ve got for you, squirt.’ He eyed her threateningly. ‘Now give!’

  Kari told him about seeing the car parked near the boys’ house. She gave him a description of the vehicle and what little she could about the driver.

  ‘That’s it?’

  ‘He didn’t look like he was there by accident, and he definitely took notice of my arrival and departure. He could be the killer.’

  ‘Or he could be a salesman, a drunk who was trying to sober up before driving, or someone having a meal in their car.’

  ‘It’s still something.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah, it’s something.’ Grady jotted the information down in a notepad, then lifted a hand in farewell. ‘Stay out of trouble, squirt.’

  Kari flashed him a smile. ‘It’s not in my nature to get into trouble, Detective.’

  There was no further exchange. Grady spun on his heel and walked over to join his less accommodating senior partner, Detective Hampton. The two of them departed the gathering and Kari was satisfied that she had gotten a little more information than everyone else.

  Gloria stormed into the office that Tony shared with two other attorneys. Her flaming red hair was uncommonly frizzy and a lock dangled and bounced in front of one of her glaring green eyes. Seeing her stride smartly between the row of cubicles, Tony rose with unsteady knees to meet her.

  ‘Mr. Martin!’ Her voice was a trifle shrill, yet controlled enough so as to not draw undue attention. ‘A matter has come up that needs your immediate attention. Please bring the notes about the case we discussed and come to my office.’

  As she spun about on her three-inch heels, Tony grabbed a folder from his desktop and hurried after her. Her strides were such that he practically had to run to keep within a few feet of her.

  They reached the hallway, but Gloria continued the rapid pace until she reached her outer office.

  ‘No calls, Dotty,’ she informed her secretary curtly. ‘This shouldn’t take but a few minutes.’

  ‘Yes, ma’am,’ the woman at the desk answered promptly.

  Tony entered Gloria’s office out of breath as she shut the door behind him. Then she marched in a circle, hands on her hips, her jaw tightly clenched. After a couple trips around the room to curb her ire, she stopped in front of the very subdued and quaking ADA.

  ‘Tell me what on earth went wrong!’ she hissed vehemently. ‘How did Dom and Juno end up dead?’

  Tony’s head rotated back and forth as if on a swivel. ‘I swear, Glory honey, I gave Chock Lincoln the very instructions we had agreed upon. He was supposed to scare Dom, grab his phone and computer and search for any pictures. That’s it!’

  ‘Well, it sure doesn’t look as if he followed orders, does it?’

  Tony groveled in angst and cowardice. ‘He called me a few minutes ago and said he’d been seen, so he did what he had to do.’

  Gloria cursed the killer, his parents and even his pets. When she had finished venting her wrath she glared at Tony. ‘I didn’t sign up for murder. This can’t come back to us!’

  ‘What can we do about it now?’ Tony whimpered. ‘Lincoln expects to be paid the two thousand dollars we promised.’

  ‘Did he tell you how much money he found in the house?’

  ‘A coupl
e hundred dollars.’

  ‘A couple hundred?’ Gloria scowled. ‘What about my fifty thousand dollars?’

  ‘Lincoln claimed the only cash he found was on the victims.’

  Gloria reined in her rage, summoning the training that allowed her to harness emotion and project control and rationality. It took several deeply drawn breaths, but she eventually eased her rigid stance.

  ‘All right,’ she said carefully. ‘What’s done can’t be changed. We can only manage the fallout from Lincoln’s asinine actions. We have to figure out what those two did with the rest of the money and get back those incriminating photos. Did Lincoln do that much of the job right?’

  ‘He said he has their phones, an iPad, and the only computer in the house, but he didn’t find any pictures during his search.’

  ‘They must be on one of their phones or the hard drive on the computer. I’ll go through everything, retrieve or destroy the pictures, and then you can discard the items where they won’t be found.’ She gazed at Tony with twin diamond-shard eyes. ‘You go see Lincoln, pick up the stuff and pay him off. Tell the stupid goon to lay low for the time being. If anyone points a finger his direction, he’ll have to leave the state.’

  ‘I … I’m to meet with him this afternoon,’ Tony stammered.

  ‘You said Lincoln told you he’d been seen. By whom?’

  ‘A female reporter from the Sentinel was at the house to talk to Juno and Dom. From his description it was Kari Underwood.’

  Gloria felt her heart sink into her stomach. ‘Not that little bloodhound! She’ll cover this story like a coat of paint.’

  Tony was immediately shaken. ‘You think she got anything out of the interview with those two?’

  ‘Who knows?’ Gloria cried. ‘We don’t have any idea why she was there!’ She smoothed her hair with her hands – fighting back the urge to yank it out by the handful. How had she gotten into this unholy mess?

  Pondering her options, she said, ‘It would behove Lincoln to give us a hand with that female snoop.’

  ‘Why should he do that?’ Tony wondered.

  ‘We need the police to keep looking at Juno and his link to drugs and gangs.’