Murder One; Deep Heat Chapter Twelve

12.

I faced Shawn at the café where we last met. I have left the room and changed to my working clothes. I arrived in my official car. I was aware of being followed. It was another car and I had taken down the number. Shawn was waiting for me.

I told him everything.

“You are …. I don’t have the word for it,” Shawn told me in the face

“Mad? Pathetic? Or was it the edge of stupidity? Was it wrong for me to do my work? Or was the sex the wrong ingredient to the recipe?” Shawn did not reply. Honestly then I wanted him to hold me but we were a table apart.

“I will speak to Sidney.” Shawn finally gave me his advice. I shook my head.

“Sidney is involved. Directly or indirectly. I am not sure. I do know Nigel Selby could be too.” I looked at Shawn. “Are you too?”

“Bernice, how could you? I think I have to leave.” Shawn was to stand up but I stopped him. I apologized to him.

“You came into prominence when all this began. I have my suspicion in you but …”

“And you are wrong. I have been with your father for a long time. When I was posted overseas, he was in communications with me. When I came back for my leave, he took me in. I did not like the works then but he explained to me the need for it. The community needed us. We are like the military in the conflict areas.”

“Enough the flattery. Sidney is a monster himself with his empire of goons. He has a finger in every pie that crosses his turf. The only difference was he attended church and helped at the charities. His goons are the poor boys and girls of the turf. His offer of assistance was repaid with their obedience. His ladies ply their asses for his sake. I left because of that.”

“Yes, we are but we are giving them better offers. Sidney also build homes and places of recreation. You can’t do without the goons for they are needed to protect the turf. The ladies were in the oldest profession acts but it was voluntary. And for everyone in it, three more were in school. Some even graduated as professionals.  Like myself, and I came back to help.”

“The mini kingdom in the bigger kingdom. I salute all of you.” I cried out with the sarcasm tone.

“Yes and no. It's not a kingdom. It’s a home within the home.”

Connie Layton was found. Her body was in the dumpster and her body mutilated. I could read the Press headlines; “You are not safe anymore. There will be no restriction on age.”

I drove back to the Station and saw it was mobbed by angry people. I detoured and drove to the crime scene and it was the same. I drove off and called Tabitha. I knew all the answers but not the car that rammed into mine. I was at the lights and it turned green, I accelerated and was hit by the ongoing car. I was thrown off by the impact of my seat towards the door. The car crashed into my rear door when I was picking up speed. It may have saved my life but I had the experienced the feeling of being tossed in the car unlike a bike, I would have ended up on the track of an ongoing vehicle. I would be dead then but I was not.

“Ma’am. Are you awake?” I did flutter my eyelids but it was because I was walking up and attracting butterflies. I was sent to the wards and kept under observations. They were expecting me to cry out in panic but actually, I was in control of my fear. I have been riding for some years and at the top speed, I had crashed several times. My worse injury was head trauma and the long scar at the back of my left thigh. That was why when I wore a dress, I underlaid it with the dark stockings.

“How many more murders?” I asked Tabitha who was by my bedside.

“One more and the case has been taken over by another Station.” I felt the pain in my chest. I then told Tabitha to do a check for me.

“I was tailed. Check the traffic cams.” Tabitha reported back. “The car did jump the light intentionally.

“I did. I was the notion that it was rare to hit by another car that manner unless you were targeted. The car did jump the light intentionally. She was trailing you for the last few days.”

“She?”

“She was Stella Adam.” Maud Adam’s sister.  “She died in the crash. We thought it was her until Forensics found that she was dead before the crash. A few hours before that. We believed whoever drove the car had the pedal down with a cane or something like that.”

“And we found Betty Layton’s body. She is dead like the others. Only it’s not our case anymore.”

I checked out the next day and was offered a new car. I took that to see Shawn.

“Did you have me tailed?” I shot off my mouth.

“Why would I? I have my issues here. Sidney is fighting back. There were some altercations. Some got hurt.” Shawn looked to be without any sleep then. I had to ask about Sidney.

“He is fine. We got him covered.”

“Who is the other side? Selby?” Shawn nodded.

“And the other groups. The Irish and the Latinos. It’s an open turf war on Sidney.” I heard of those other groups. They are not big like Sidney but the opportunity was there. I left once more disappointed.

“Ma’am, I want my case back.” I looked at the Station Commander. I was not asking but pleading, And I got the expected reply. I walked out of the place like when I did when the Principal kicked me from the office and then from school.

I was on my own until the call came by.

“Inspector, I know you are dying to take back the case but don’t forget I got your gun.” I was to reply with profanities but the caller hung up and it was a burner phone. I was one that likes to be threatened. I decided to fight back.

Like Sidney.

I went to look for Madge.

“Stella’s dead,” I told Madge. “So was Connie Layton. Betty Layton. Any names familiar to you?” I asked Madge. I was with her at the playground with her grandkid on the swing a distance away. Madge had served longer than me.

“I got another for you. They are moving into Sidney’s.” Madge knew my father and what he does. ‘The Selby leading it. Tell me if you know anything.”

“Not for me but them.” I motioned to the kids in the playground. “They don’t deserve to be in this. Not if we can stop it.”

“I …. will help.” Madge muttered. “It went way back.”

“Can you come to the Station?” I asked her. ‘I don’t have a recorder.”

“I can’t and won’t. The whole place is being informed. Trust no one.” Madge then told me to follow her back to the house. We brought the kid back. I offered protection but she declined. She told me she has her own. I knew what she meant. Madge was not only a sharpshooter she was also loaded with guns in her house like Maud.

“These are mine. I bought them off the market.” The market was an illegal one. “I need to protect myself. They are everywhere.”

Then she told me the part of the tale I did not know. I then got evidence to open back old cases and probable obstruction of justice.