One Murder Too Many Read online

  ‘So you think Underwood was there to interview Juno?’ Tony said, then concluded, ‘Because his cousin is the leader of the Hard Corps.’

  ‘It makes sense. Everyone knows Juno isn’t a member of the gang, but the reporter must have thought he could tell her something.’ As a thought popped into her head, she snapped her fingers.

  ‘Yes!’ she exclaimed. ‘I know what this is about. Underwood wrote a piece about drugs coming into the valley. She even mentioned the possibility of a connection with a cartel somewhere in South America.’

  ‘How does that help us?’

  ‘It’s the angle needed to make this whole thing go away,’ Gloria explained patiently. ‘No one messes with those international drug consortiums.’

  ‘So what do you want to do about Underwood?’

  Gloria replied, ‘Chock Lincoln put us in this bind by killing those two boys. It’s up to him to sell the idea that this is gang related. He needs to give the reporter a scare!’ She repeated. ‘Scare – not kill!’ Next she added, ‘And he needs to search her place the first chance he gets.’

  ‘You really think she has some information at her apartment?’

  ‘Probably not, but it will keep the cops busy. If they think Underwood knows something about drugs, they will be chasing after her and looking the wrong way. Once the cops decide this is gang-related, they will stop seeking anything tied to anyone or anything else … namely blackmail and us.’

  Tony didn’t wag his tail and pant, but he was as eager to please as a lonely pet. ‘OK, Glory honey. You’re smarter than the cops and that reporter combined. This will work.’

  Gloria reached out and tapped him on the chest with a long, manicured fingernail. ‘Tell Lincoln no mistakes,’ she warned. ‘I mean it.’

  He didn’t try to make his voice work. Instead, he bobbed his head and hurriedly scampered out of the room.

  Gloria realized her teeth were clenched so hard they began to ache. She felt a great fear in her chest, a dark pit of regret and contrition. A simple case of adultery had turned into a recipe for murder. Resisting a divorce, so that she could avoid a scandal and hang on to her material wealth might now cost her everything she owned … even her freedom.

  Don, she cursed her husband, why couldn’t you have been the man I thought I married!

  Back at the news agency, Kari was typing away when Marge Taylor, her immediate supervisor, joined her at her desk. Kari told her about the search of the dead pair’s home and the missing items. It was the extra bit of information she had wormed out of Detective Grady. The woman gave a nod of approval and changed the subject.

  ‘Have you spoken to Jason lately?’

  ‘We email one another daily, write letters back and forth, and we talk on the phone every Sunday. It’s a difficult courtship, being so far apart.’

  Marge grinned at her statement. ‘What era did you say you were born in? Courtship?’

  ‘I’m a little old-fashioned for the times.’

  ‘Well, I have to admit, your man impressed me,’ Marge commented. ‘He helped to clear up my brother-in-law’s death in about ten minutes flat.’

  Kari experienced a warm flush at the term your man, but hid it quickly. ‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘It’s fortunate he was familiar with the use of those cardboard compactors from a job he worked at while attending college. He knew there was a trick to bypassing the safety switch so the compactor would engage without the door being closed.’

  Marge gravely shook her head. ‘My sister claimed her husband didn’t let anyone know he had been seeing a doctor. With his black hair, dark complexion, and working with a good many Latino employees, he spoke Spanish well enough to pretend to be an undocumented worker from Mexico. He gave a false name to the Medicaid people when he went to the clinic. After he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he knew he only had a few months to live. He had hoped my sister would collect on his accident insurance, which would have been ten times as much as the normal death policy.’

  ‘One has to admire his courage. Being crushed to death does not sound like a fun way to die.’

  ‘Neither does dying from cancer of the pancreas.’

  Kari agreed and Marge wandered off to check on the other people she supervised. Getting back to her story, Kari tried to find the words to hold the reader’s attention. The motive for the murder was unknown. The briefing had mentioned that a couple of girls were at the apartment shortly before the shooting. That might be important. Perhaps the motive was jealousy from an angry ex-boyfriend, or one of the girls might have been from a rival gang, prompting a deadly reprisal. And, in spite of no one believing that Juno and Dom dealt in drugs, they might have tried their hand at it and ended up dead for the effort.

  But why take their phones and computer? Was there important information on one of those devices? It seemed the only reason for the theft. Lastly, there was the unobtrusive man who watched from his car. Could Kari really have seen the killer?

  ‘Hey, girlfriend!’ Dee arrived with a smile. ‘It’s time to give your brain a rest. Let’s go to the break room and you can tell me about dinner with your folks last night. I’ll bet you had a wild old time.’

  ‘Let me finish this,’ Kari said. ‘It’s about ready to send to Scott’s desk.’

  Dee looked over her shoulder. ‘Oh, yeah, the gang shooting. I’m not one to pass judgment, but a couple of bangers getting their due won’t make me lose any sleep.’

  ‘Hum, that sounds like judgment to me.’

  Dee waved a hand to dismiss Kari’s sarcasm. ‘I mean it! They peddle drugs at the schools, they own the streets, they destroy landmarks, walls and fences with their disgusting graffiti. Who’s going to miss a couple of bangers?’

  ‘I tried to interview them both earlier the very day they were killed. They ran me off like a stray dog. Juno seemed pretty harmless and Dominick … well, he’s Judge Westmoreland’s son.’

  Dee sucked in her breath. ‘Westmoreland?’ She sobered at the news. ‘Wow, that’s not good. He’s next in line for the State Supreme Court. This is going to hit the fan like you know what!’

  Kari gave a last look at the article and punched the send button, forwarding it to Scott’s computer. ‘Done,’ she announced, eager to put the murders from her mind. ‘Let’s go see if there are any donuts left.’

  CHAPTER FIVE

  THE HONORABLE JUDGE Garth Westmoreland sat on the leather-bound couch in his living room. His daughter, Constance, was seated on one side of him and his eldest son, Benjamin, on the other. Constance worked for a marketing company and Benjamin owned a small construction company. All three of them appeared red-eyed and weary.

  ‘We know this is hard on all of you,’ Grady said, beginning the interview. ‘We’ll keep this short and leave you to grieve and take care of burial arrangements and the like.’

  ‘Ask your questions,’ the judge said somberly.

  ‘We believe Juno Orozco was the likely target for this attack.’ Hampton was the one to put forth their summation. ‘With his cousin running the Hard Corps gang, someone could have been sending a message to Victor.’

  ‘As for your son,’ Grady interjected. ‘I noticed he didn’t have any gang tats.’

  ‘No,’ Benjamin was the one to reply. ‘Dominick liked to spout trash talk, trying to sound like some rapper, but he never joined a gang. Him and Juno became best friends way back in elementary school. It was partly because they were so close that Dad and Mom never insisted that Dom attend a private school. In the past couple years, they both got jobs and were sharing a rented house together.’

  Judge Westmoreland clarified the situation. ‘When Victor took over as leader of the Hard Corps, I tried to break up Dom and Juno’s friendship. I was afraid Victor would force them both to become active members. But by that time Dom was too old to order about. Then, after my wife died, Dom pretty much ignored me altogether.’

  ‘Dominick was the youngest of our family,’ Constance said, making her presence felt for the first time.
‘He was bound to be a little spoiled.’

  ‘Yes,’ agreed Benjamin. ‘His good looks and great smile could get him anything he wanted when Mom was alive. She died of a cerebral hemorrhage when Dom was sixteen. By that time Connie and I had already moved out and were on our own.’

  ‘And I was working long hours in court these past few years. I didn’t see much of Dom, even when he was living at home.’ Garth displayed guilt. ‘I didn’t have enough time for my boy. I let him do whatever he wanted after Phyllis died.’

  ‘I seem to remember he got into trouble a time or two, didn’t he?’ Hampton asked the question, but he and Grady knew the answer.

  ‘Dom was popular with the girls,’ Connie volunteered. ‘But he always had a temper too. If the girl didn’t behave exactly the way he wanted, Dom would often drop them flat.’

  ‘Or even get a little physical with them,’ Hampton expanded on that subject. ‘Two different complaints were filed concerning his being abusive.’

  The judge waved his hand to dismiss the allegations. ‘He was high-strung and selfish, but he wasn’t a bad boy. He missed his mother and sometimes expected more from a woman than she wanted to give. I tried to get him some professional help, but….’ He heaved a sigh. ‘Anyway, the charges were dropped both times. No one was severely injured and I believe Dom had begun to treat women with more respect.’

  ‘The reason I bring it up, Judge,’ Hampton continued, ‘is that witnesses said there were a couple of girls visiting the two victims shortly before the shooting. We have to consider the possibility that there was some kind of fight or disagreement between them. Perhaps one of the girls complained to a friend or relative about Dom. That might have been what prompted the shooting.’

  Benjamin countered at once. ‘Dom’s temper was a problem, but it seldom got out of hand when he was with Juno. Juno knew how to control him.’

  Constance agreed. ‘Yes, the only complaints against Dom were when he was alone with a girl.’

  ‘Getting back to Juno,’ Grady said, ‘he had the gang tattoo on his arm. Was he a full-fledged member of the Hard Corps?’

  ‘Yes and no,’ Benjamin answered. ‘He was a member, but he didn’t really hang around his cousin much. Juno belonged because it was expected of him. Dom said Juno hardly ever went over to Victor’s place or did any running around with the gang. Juno worked at a Jiffy Lube, changing oil and filters on cars. He was always a pretty good kid.’

  Hampton bobbed his head. ‘I did a background check on him, and he didn’t have any arrests. I also spoke to the gang unit and they said the same thing – Juno pretty much stayed out of trouble.’

  ‘Regardless, with him being Victor’s cousin, we have to consider that this murder could be intended to send a message to the Hard Corps,’ Grady surmised. ‘That said, we still need to ask if there is anything else you can tell us? Do you know if either of them were having personal problems with anyone? Were there any threatening messages left on their phones, slashed tires on one of their cars … anything like that?’

  Garth exchanged looks with his kids and shook his head. ‘Nothing that we knew about.’

  ‘We have to consider that the boys might have known something or had some special information,’ Grady continued. ‘It appears they spent a lot of money in the last few weeks and their place was tossed. The assailant took their phones and computer. It’s obvious they were getting money from some place and also that the killer was looking for something special.’

  ‘I can’t imagine what it could be,’ the judge said.

  ‘How about a girlfriend?’ Hampton wanted to know. ‘Do you have any idea who the girls were at their apartment?’

  ‘We’ve no clue.’ Benjamin was the one to respond. ‘But then, I hadn’t seen Dom in a couple of weeks. Last time we spoke, he was using street trash talk, you know, gangsta slang. I hardly understood a thing he said.’

  Constance added. ‘Dom was terrible about keeping in touch.’

  ‘I only saw him for a few minutes at a time, usually when I ran into him at the state building. He was working as a janitor,’ the judge informed them. ‘Dom would occasionally drop by for a meal, but that’s about all. If he had a special girl, he never spoke of it or brought her over to meet me.’

  ‘Thanks for your time, Your Honor,’ Grady said. ‘We thank you two as well,’ he added, speaking to Constance and Benjamin. ‘We’re very sorry for your loss, and we’ll do everything we can to find out who killed Dominick.’

  ‘Get to the bottom of this,’ Judge Westmoreland said tightly. ‘If this turns out to be over drugs, the DA and I will bring the combined weight of our offices down on those dealers. We’ve been looking the other way for far too long. We’ve let the gangs run free, without a lot of interference, so long as they didn’t involve innocent bystanders. But if it turns out drugs and gangs are responsible for my son’s death, I will use my position and influence to make every one of those delinquents pay.’

  Constance patted her father’s arm. ‘Dad, these gangs often resort to terror and killing. You can’t put a stop to it all by yourself.’

  ‘This was not the act of one gang-banger or drug-dealer shooting another one!’ he declared. ‘This killing involved an innocent boy – my boy! This was one murder too many. I want the perpetrators found … and punished!’

  Kari made a dozen calls to contacts and sources, then touched base with the cop in the gang unit. She dared only text Rick Cory, as it was not wise to call him directly. He had a street source nicknamed Radar – like the character on the old MASH TV series – except the Confidential Informant was not psychic, he was connected. He knew much of what went on and who was responsible for it. He was one of the few guys who managed to be on good terms with most every gang in the valley. According to Rick, Radar often passed along good information but nothing that could be traced back to him. Evidently Radar was keen on prolonging his own life. As for Rick, he had assumed control of the gang unit and the drug related shootings had dropped by nearly fifty per cent. However, communicating with the media could mean an end to his career, so he had to be careful whom he talked to and about what. He did respond a short while later but he had no information. He confirmed that Juno was not an active member of the gang, so it was unlikely he would have had any solid information concerning drug shipments or the like.

  She thanked him for his help and decided to go visit Juno’s sister. She might be able to shed some light on who was behind the attack.

  Kari went to the parking garage, got into her car and drove along the winding path from the upper level until she reached the street exit. She engaged the brake and paused, squinting from the bright glare of the sun, to look for an opening in the heavy downtown traffic. There was a sudden pop!

  A sprinkle of glass stung Kari’s right arm and cheek. She gasped in shock when a second pop! shattered another small hole in the passenger side of the windshield! She instinctively ducked and sank down into the bucket seat.

  Panic prompted her to react. She shifted into reverse and stepped on the gas. The car lurched rearward into the parking garage until she was well back from the street. Kari rose up quickly to see where she was going and slammed on the brakes.

  Fortunately, no one had been behind her and she missed the nearest concrete girder by mere inches. Sitting there, foot still on the brake, her pulse thundering wildly against her temples, she began to shake. It was the most severe trembling she’d ever experienced. It was all she could do to draw air into her lungs. Her knuckles turned white from gripping the steering wheel, but she couldn’t seem to let go.

  Someone honked and an involuntary scream was ripped from her throat.

  Moments later a face appeared outside her window. It was Lyle Tanner, a middle-aged man who worked in printing.

  ‘Kari! What’s the matter?’ He had to shout due to the window being up. ‘Are you all right?’

  Regaining enough composure to raise one hand from the steering wheel, she recouped the strength to lower the
window.

  ‘L-Lyle,’ she stammered. ‘Someone….’ she gasped for a breath. ‘Someone shot at me!’

  He immediately took notice of the holes in the glass. ‘Good Lord!’ he cried. ‘Are you hit? Are you all right?’

  Kari noticed two small blood specks on her exposed arm, likely from the shattered glass. Then she touched her cheek, found another spot of blood and felt a tiny broken shard.

  ‘No … and yes … I think so.’ She still had no air in her lungs. ‘I….’ Unable to say more, she reached down and shut off the car engine. With a small measure of rationality returning, she also thought to put the car in ‘park’, so it wouldn’t roll.

  ‘You’re white as a bed sheet, Kari,’ he told her gently. ‘Take several deep breaths and let each one out slowly. I’ll call the police.’

  Kari tried desperately to inhale, but her body seemed unwilling to cooperate. Lyle made an emergency call and then opened the car door. She could see his mouth moving, but didn’t hear his words right away. Then as he continued to try and calm her, she finally let out a breath, and was coherent.

  ‘I didn’t see anything,’ she said. ‘It happened so fast.’

  ‘Sit tight,’ he said. ‘The police are on their way.’

  The captain approached Grady’s desk and stopped, displaying a look of impatience.

  ‘Uh, we’ve come up with nothing concrete, Capt’n,’ Grady said weakly. ‘Victor has agreed to talk to us, so we’ll see if he can give us anything. According to the guys in the gang unit, there isn’t any word on the streets about the Hard Corps being at war with any of the other gangs.’

  ‘No more than usual,’ Hampton added. ‘We know there is at least one of the gangs tied up with the Colombians. Could be there is some concern Juno knew about a shipment or something.’

  ‘This is about the murder of Judge Westmoreland’s son!’ the captain reminded them hotly. ‘We need answers!’

  Grady said, ‘Our favorite reporter visited them a few hours before they were shot. Then we know a couple of girls stopped by for a short time. We’ve got men scouring the neighborhood to try and learn the identity of those two girls. We think one was an ex-girlfriend of Victor’s. We’re hoping they might provide us with some kind of motive. Plus, every snitch on the street is looking to score information about this. The word is out that we’re paying top dollar for any leads.’