Di Angelo was our meal caterer, and also personal friend. So when he was in trouble, no one in the Precinct was short of delivering the assistance. It was all about his prized possession; the coffee joint he operated after his retirement from the Precinct. That was one morning which we would never forget.
"Dan, good morning." I wished at the good friend of mine who was sitting at the side table with Frank. It was not their usual sitting place as we normally convened at the serving bar so we can talked to Di Angelo while he served. I walked towards the duo who had finished their meals. I sat down next to Dan, and looked at Frank.
"Who died?" I saw the grim look on their faces.
"Di Angelo got the news that his place was under threat by the developer who wanted to build a mall here." That's bad news to us too, as we may also lose the best place for our coffee. "He was given notice as this piece of land belongs to the County and leased with periodic renewal."
"Who was the developer?" I had to asked.
"AD Build; a chap by the name of Peter Finch. Connected to the Mayor and also our friend with the muscles." So the mobs are backing it. I guessed they needed a new tower to oversee us at the Precinct.
"So where Di Angelo got to moved to?" In mind, it was the yard next to ours at the Precinct. I have eyed that place for my hot dog joint with Frank. we could complement each other. I did not tell Dan as he would be disappointed with me not offering him a stake.
"He's undecided." Frank replied. "His daughter in college and his wife on the dialysis machine. That man got his future lined up behind the serving bar."
The call came in and it was a 187 ( Homicide ). That was my cue to leave. On the way there, I felt the hunger pangs but that had to wait. When I arrived, one of the uniformed walked up to me, with a takeaway coffee and sandwich. Frank had placed the order for me. Thank God, for friends like Frank.
"So what we have?"I munched into my tuna sandwich and cringed. Too many greens and too little meat. I threw the remaining sandwich into the nearby waste bin. I hoped no one picks that up as possible evidence.
"Harvey, Dave. Middle aged. Well dressed. No signs of robbery. Point blank in the face. According to witnesses." I looked at Brian who was the first to respond. When Brian hears of a 187, he drives like a loony on the cartoon series; everyone gets crashed except him.
"I got hold of his wallet." Brian waved at me and showed me the credit cards lined up like wads of bills. "Works for AD Build. Senior Architect."
So the good man walking on the street and gets shot in the face. That's not an everyday affair. I seen such action. Its called 'done ye face in'. Its also call to shut up the opposition.
Soon I was in AD Build; one block down the street, and the place was lavishly decorated with long legged beauties to asked for your credentials.
I gave mine and was asked to wait. My meeting was with the Project Director; the one named by Frank to developed at Di Angelo. I spied the building plans and looked at it as I passed my time. Shucks, this one looked like a fortress to hold the pigeons in. Or bats to fly off at night. I wondered if they have any gargoyles at the top. Why can't they have one withe the glass facade and towers plus the landscaping. I am not an architect so that makes me unqualified to question their choice.
Funny how the bystanders always have more to comment than the actual persons involved in the planning. I was soon called in and listened to the expert.
"Detective, I can assured we are backing you all the way on finding Dave's murderer." Peter Finch was a large framed man with wider shoulders. I saw the trophies behind him; ex-football player who made it big in the corporate world. A rare commodity but his bank accounts out weighed mine.
"I got no clues to who and why would some one want to dunked on Dave. According to his other colleagues, Dave was the good man; better team player but a task master in the works. He stands for no shortcuts and demands perfection." Peter was defending his man well.
"Did he find any fault in the plans?" I shot off my mouth and got it stapled.
"No, we at AD Build developed quality buildings and our credentials stands to that." Peter was agitated by my question. "That statement would never be heard in this building."
I nodded back to the expert who knew how to erect a building. Heck, with a secretary like his, I would be standing all the time, but I have no secretary. I finished my coffee and left.
Soon I was at the Morgue and watched as Dan worked.
"Shot was done by a professional. It may be messy but its effective. The shooter blew from below the neck up the jaws and into the brains. The nose got ruptured along with the eyeballs." Dan had his fingers plunged into the eyes socket. "I am digging for the fragments."
"Dan, there was one case like this back two years. The killer same approach." I remembered that case as it was a mobs contract and we missed the killer when he sook off on the plane. Maybe he's back.
Henry Jackson back in the city. This time he's not leaving it again. Unless its legs first. I asked Dan if the washroom was fixed; he told the place won't flushed. He shooed me and not dropped any more waste in his office. I left with the slight urge to used the washroom.
But the call of duty was on, as I rounded up the usual informants and none could sing to my tune. So I settled on one area which any man leaving the city would come back for; his mistress or lover.
"Hello, Stacy." I looked into the brunette who stood at the door of the high rise apartment. Stacy was a looker and higher priced hooker. She does tricks that would pay more than what I earned a week.
"F*****d it, Jim." Stacy was used to me knocking on her door when Henry was running the bookies until he became hit man. "I ain't seen Henry since the last President stepped down."
"I thought you might. But tell him I am looking for him." I would left her a twenty note, but I doubt she would bend forward me to peek at that value. I left the brunette as with her love of money, she won't finched on her ex-lover as yet to me. If she knew Henry was back, he may contact her especially after a big job like this one. His pay packet can afford her services for several fulfilling nights. I had the boys tapped and tailed her; it was done without a warrant but time was essential. Henry might leave sooner than expected.
I did asked if I could use the washroom but she shooed me off. I guess she was afraid I would see what she got hanging there. Within the hour, we hit the gold nugget find, when she called him. They agreed to meet and I aimed to be there.
It was then Di Angelo also called me on my portable.
"Jim, I need your help. My darling missing. She did not called as she normally does. And its past five now." Di Angelo' daughter called her dad three times a day when she leave for college. She did not called during lunch and he's worried. Damned, being an ex-cop and over zealous father, he would checked on his daughter at regular checks. I told Di Angelo I would drop by the college and checked if she was there.
I went over to the college and checked with her friends. They said she was in AD Build. The darned washroom at the college was closed for cleaning. The next one was some distance away. I drove onto AD Build and found her there. She was there with some friends doing the protest march on the development. I confronted her and she told me she needed to do something to help her dad.
"Helped him by calling him now. And then go home. He's worried sick on you." She agreed but not before she threw the placard at the building entrance. I had to stopped the security guard from taking her into custody.
I looked at my watch. I got an hour to reach the place which Henry was meeting Stacy and that was cutting it tight on the timing. They were meeting at the shutdown theme park after the roller coaster malfunctioned. I reached there just in time to see Stacy drove past me to turned into the theme park. I stopped the car and followed on foot.
I saw her parked at the merry go round and was standing by the car. There was no sign of Henry yet but I did not have to wait long. Then the man I seek came out from the shadows of the merry go round. He motioned to Stacy to get into the car. I saw then his eyes was on me. So much for my stalking skills. I ran back to my car outside the theme park as he sped by me. I caught the number plate and called the Precinct.
I was with lady luck, there was a patrol car nearby and it gave chase to the car driven by Henry. I got into mine; heaving with deep breath as I gunned up my engine for the coming chase. Its at he tail end of the evening rush hour, so we might get to test how good are our brakes and acceleration of these car from the Police yard. I sped down the street with the radio blaring the last pursuit point. I am two blocks away but I have some irate pedestrians who disliked being forced off the street. I took a different route driving tangent and then turned at the next block. Luck was on my side as Henry had swerved into the directions as other patrol cars are joining in. I saw the road block in front and pulled up beside it.
It was then Henry came gunning down and did a tight turn to move into the alley there.
Damned! I climbed back in my car and reversed out to returned the way I came from. I drove for the nearest side alley and drove in. But it was filled with dumpster overturned. I had to reversed out and drove further down to seek another way. The radio calls came in that they lost the suspect.
This was shrewd but it happened during our duties. I slowed the car and pulled over at the kerb. I was at the junction and opposite me was the gas station. I realized I needed to use the washroom. So I pulled out to the traffic before parking at the station. I got up and walked to the washroom. I needed to peed badly then; too much coffee and tension simulated the bladder to stored more.
As I was to start peeing, another guy came in, and took the next urinal bowl. I did not want to looked like others; the curiosity got hold of me. I peeked over and then looked up. It was the same time he looked up.
It was Henry. Guess he suffered the same syndrome like mine.
But now, it was a matter which comes first. I was lucky as I had only my zip opened while he had unbuttoned his pants. Who cares about hygiene then? I reached for my gun at my shoulder holster and pulled out the gun while he tried to reached for his in the jacket pocket while holding onto his pants with the legs spread. I was faster and pointed the gun at him.
"Please made my day complete. I never shot anyone in the washroom yet." That would be something to tell the boys back at the Precinct. But Henry was not buying my odds, as his facial expression reveals his intentions. I fired first and hit him at the left shoulder causing him to fall back. His gun went off but the shot missed me; or nearly hit me as it hit the urinal I was standing at.
I stepped over and kicked at the dropped gun. I pointed my gun at Henry who was holding onto his wound with his trousers dropped to his knees. It was not a pretty sight but some magazine might like the pose. I was impressed though at him. I knew now why Stacy went for him. I would stick to Jenny and my occasional pin-ups for extra motivation.
I wanted to read him his rights but I decided to zipped up first. Darned! I got my pants wet too.
Later, when the ambulance picked up Henry, I drove on home. I told Jenny of my adventure and she was not amused.
"Can't you guys just used the cubicles? We all do and we don't have to compared colors of the hair." I gave up on telling her my adventures.
The next day, I questioned Henry on the shooting as his gun was traced to the shot that killed Dave. He refused to speak but Stacy sang like a parrot; repeating every words she heard when Henry was talking to one named Peter Finch. She was at the meeting in the secluded country resort. Her sore point was with Henry going away; she stand to lose out on her share of the money he was paid.
"Nobody f***s me without paying.." That was her last line in the statement. But that not enough to bring in Peter Finch. So I went over to see Dave's wife, Debra who was still in mourning. I told her we got the murderer but not the one who called for it. I asked if she could assist in pining anything that Dave knew on Peter.
Meanwhile I worked again on Henry, and he knew his options are limited but he got good lawyers. I wanted to pursue on with Peter Finch until Frank stopped me.
"Jim, its not worth it." Frank assured me. "He's not our target. Even with him gone, the project over Di Angelo would still go on. Its an uphill task."
Frank knew why I wanted to get Peter Finch but it may not work. In end, we charged Henry on the gun evidence and placed him away. A widow was well compensated, and one faithful daughter left college for night classes while her father moved to served coffee at a hot dog kiosk setup in the Police Yard temporary until we get him a permanent place nearby.
Nothing fair in life unless you have it made by yourself. That helps if you have power backing.
Dan quit eating at Di Angelo Dogs, as in his opinion, the hot dogs are filled with animals discards and innards. Therefore unhealthy to his diet.
No comments:
Post a Comment