Out For Justice (5 page)

Chapter Nine

Karen watched intently out the car window as Sam drove as slowly as possible down busy Nebraska Avenue. Raymond Alan Thomas was not going to be an easy man to find. If they were lucky, they’d find someone who knew him and could point them in the right direction. Finding someone who was willing to squeal on his buddy wouldn’t be too difficult if they knew the right person to squeeze.

Women with weary, bored expressions on their faces walked the street, attempting to make eye contact with the drivers who sped by. Karen knew that many of them looked older than their actual years. Life on the street did that to them. Life on the street and drugs. It was always about the drugs. The hard life of prostitution took a toll on the body and never gave back change. Having spent a number of years with the narcotics squad, Karen knew that most of these women walking the streets were just working for their next fix. Their next smoke. Their next high. They only existed for that next drug-induced thrill and then they concentrated on the next one after that. It was never enough. Nothing else mattered in between.

When she went undercover, Karen walked those streets along side of them. Busting the johns wasn’t her idea of a good time, but it was necessary. Arresting the girls didn’t work because they were right back on the street the next day. They went after the source. The guys who paid for the services. Getting them right where it hurt. Their pockets and their privacy. Walking the streets was hot, dirty, hard work, especially during the humid days of summer. Especially when the line of johns seemed never ending. Karen tried not to let the job get to her, but it was frustrating at times to know that for every john they arrested, two more took his place. For as long as men and women have existed, paying for sex was a part of life. It wasn’t just on the streets. Karen saw the other cases too, when she was a patrol officer, where women received bruises and broken arms. The best cases were when those women realized that price was too high to pay and got out.

There was always a price to pay. Karen was going to make sure she was there to collect the payment due on little Logan Hunt’s murder.

Clearing her head, Karen went back to watching the action on the other side of her car window. More women walked the street. Choking on the exhaust from the buses and trucks, sweat stains on their clothes, pooling between sagging breasts and in the middle of their backs. These women guarded their stretch of Nebraska Avenue fiercely. Karen’s chest tightened. She wished desperately to save each one of them and help turn their life around.

Clearing her throat, looking up the next block, Karen pointed ahead. They found what they were looking for. A small neighborhood grocery store, little more than a hole in the wall, with grimy, boarded windows and faded lettering. A small group of men huddled around the entrance. Sam turned right onto the first side street and parked the car near the corner. A blast of oven-like heat and humidity hit them as they got out of the air-conditioned comfort.

Approaching the group of men, Sam spoke first. “Gentlemen, we’d like to ask you a couple of questions.”

“Hey, man. Whatcha want?” One man from the group broke away and moved toward them. He gave off a quality of superiority to the other men that held them back from talking. “We ain’t talking to no cops.”

Tough guy image, Karen thought.

“Suit yourself. We can have a nice conversation here, or we can all go down to the station and talk there.” Sam spread out his hands to include everyone. “It’s your choice.”

The other men murmured among themselves in Spanish. Karen understood enough to know that they were not thrilled about going down to the station and wanted the first guy to shut up. Dissention in the ranks. A perfect opportunity to use them against each other.

“Hey, you.” Karen pointed to one of the men. His eyes shifted away from her then back. He tucked a hand into his pants pocket then pulled out a pack of cigarettes. With hands that weren’t quite steady, he lit one, and then put the pack back into his pocket. His pants slid low on his hips. The ragged cuffs dragged along the ground. His shirt hung on his thin frame, untucked, dirty, and worn. “What’s your name?”

“Juan,” he mumbled.

“Juan?’

“
Si
. Yes.”

“Juan, we’re looking for one of your buddies. Raymond. Have you seen him around lately?”

“No.”

“No, you haven’t seen him?”

“No, I haven’t seen him.”

“Are you sure?”

“What do you mean, ‘are you sure?’ He said he hasn’t seen him.” Karen turned back to the tough guy.

“Was I talking to you? I don’t think so. You just stand back and be quiet.”

The other men laughed. Karen had a feeling tough guy didn’t like to be laughed at and especially didn’t like being told what to do by a woman.

“Now, Juan. When was the last time you saw Raymond?”

Juan looked hesitantly around at his friends. Some shook their heads. Juan turned back to Karen. “I don’t know. A week. Two.”

“Where’d you see him last?”

“Here.” Juan pointed to the storefront. “He was bragging about his new girlfriend again.” The other men muttered broken comments in Spanish.

“Girlfriend, huh? Karen asked as she exchanged a look with Sam. “A crazy bitch with little ta-tas?” Some of the men’s heads lifted quickly when Karen repeated their comments back to them in English. She knew they were going to be more guarded about their comments from then on. “Did this girlfriend have a name?”

“We just called her ‘crazy bitch’.”

“Do you know where I can find Raymond and his crazy bitch?”

A chorus of “I dunno” answered her back. Karen sighed. She needed to change her tactics. She was getting nowhere with this group. “All right, Sam. Call dispatch to send a few patrol cars and have them come and pick these guys up.”

“Hey, we’re not doin’ nothin’—”

“What for?”

“I’m outa here.”

“Hold on there.” Sam grabbed the man’s arm to keep him from leaving. “We’re looking for a little cooperation. If we don’t get it, we’ll take you down to the station and charge you with loitering and then maybe obstruction or aiding and abetting a known felon. Now, does anyone want to change their answer?”

“Don’t be such a hardass man.”

“Yeah, man. It’s too hot to be comin’ down so hard. Be cool.”

“Look,” Karen said, wiping the sweat from her brow. “Do you know where I can find Raymond?”

The men looked at each other as if to weigh their options. An unspoken agreement spread between them. “Yeah, man. He lives about ten blocks from here, down that way.” Tough guy pointed down the same road they had parked their car. “Blue house.”

“There are little dwarf statues in the yard.”

“Nah, man. They’re not dwarfs, they’re elves.”

“Gnomes, asshole. How many times does that crazy bitch have to tell you?”

“All right, we get it. There are little statues in the yard.” Karen pulled out her notebook and made a few notes. “Thanks.”

While Sam drove, Karen keyed the address information into the computer and waited to find out if there were any prior calls. Sam parked across from the blue house. One domestic disturbance showed up on the screen as they sat across the street. Sure enough, the front yard had little gnome statues. Chipped and faded looking, they matched the unkempt exterior of the house. The weeds grew tall where grass should be growing making the house look even smaller. Waving in the breeze, torn screens hung from dirty windows, some of the frames banging against the house.

“Do you think this guy could be our killer?” Karen asked.

“We’ll know soon enough. Stay alert. Who knows what kind of crap he’ll pull once he finds out who we are and why we’re here.”

“Just let me run the tag on the car in the driveway.” Karen leaned over the computer to press the button to send the car’s license plate information.

Sam leaned back against the headrest and shifted his body slightly. The rasp and crinkling of the mock leather seats echoed loudly in the car.

“Here we go. Car’s registered to Thomas. Tag’s expired. Nothing else.”

“All right, then. Let’s go see who’s home.”

Chapter Ten

Susan tossed her shoes inside the locker and slammed the door shut. The rattle echoed across the tiles in the empty locker room.

“Parker, you in there?”

“Yeah, Mike. Sure am. Just finishing up.”

“Move your ass. We got work to do.”

“Hush your mouth, boy. You kiss your momma with that mouth?” Susan pulled on a light windbreaker and zipped it half way as she walked out of the locker room.

“No, I kiss my momma with my other mouth. Sheesh.” Mike slid into step along side his partner. She was tall and walked nearly shoulder to shoulder with him. “What kind of crap are you giving me today?”

“Whatever works.”

“I am not one of your kids, Susan,” Mike said as he held the door for her to walk outside. The sun shone on her skin and reflected the color of coffee. Rich and dark. She was a beautiful woman with the eyes of a warrior queen. He knew life was hard on her, with no husband to help her take care of her three children, but she didn’t complain. She didn’t complain after her husband was shot on patrol after interrupting a burglary, and she didn’t complain when her youngest needed to attend a special needs school, and she didn’t complain now.

“Good thing too. Or else there’d be hell to pay,” she told him.

“Uh huh.” Mike checked his pockets to make sure he had everything he needed. “Looks like we got another dead body to deal with. Somewhere on the Courtney Campbell Causeway.”

“Great. It’s raining dead bodies this week.” They walked across the parking lot toward their vehicle.

“Seems that way.” Mike thought for a minute. “Wasn’t it like this last year about this time? Didn’t we have that floater in the Hillsborough River and then that shooting over at Radio Shack? Then that domestic violence call where some guy shot his ex wife and kids? Let’s keep our fingers crossed history isn’t repeating itself.”

“I hear that.”

They did a quick check of their vehicle to make sure they had all the supplies they needed then climbed into their black SUV. Susan let Mike drive. Mike knew he did a better job and she was smart enough to admit it. He handled the traffic better and found ways through back ups that she would be too timid to try.

Once they turned off Lois Avenue and were heading toward State Route 60, Susan took over the conversation.

“How’ve you been lately, Mike?”

“Not bad. You?”

“About the same. The kids are always up to something, but I got them well in hand. The oldest, he joined the band this year. Drum Corp if you can believe it. That’s all I need around the house is someone beating a drum. But, he likes it and I don’t want to spoil his dream.”

“Jamal? Good for him.”

“Yeah. That’s what I thought too.” Susan shifted slightly in her seat. “So, Mike. Are you seeing anyone lately?”

“Nah. Not lately.” Mike cast a quick glance in Susan’s direction, taking his eyes off the road for a mere second. “Why?”

“Just wondering. Thought maybe if you weren’t seeing anyone right now you might be interested in taking out Karen Sykes.”

“Who?” Mike asked a little too quickly. Damn.

“You know who I’m talking about. Karen Sykes. Sam’s new partner. We were on a case with them the other day. I’m sure you remember.” Susan nudged an elbow toward him in a sign of camaraderie.

“What made you think of her? Why would you even think I’d be interested?”

“Oh come on, Mike. I saw the way you looked at her. You were interested. You just didn’t want to be interested.”

Rounding the curve near Tampa International Airport, Mike said, “Well, what if I was. It wouldn’t work out. Besides, I don’t date women in the force.”

“It’s a silly old rule.”

“It’s a smart rule.”

“Well, I for one think it stinks. Get rid of it. Who better to understand your schedule and be sympathetic about your job than a fellow officer?”

“I tried that once. Remember?” Mike slapped the steering wheel. “It didn’t work.” Boy, how it didn’t work.

“Oh, pooh. Melissa? Good night, that woman was a mess. It didn’t have anything to do with you two working together. You’re lucky to be rid of her.”

“She needed me and I wasn’t there for her.”

Susan waved her hand as if waving away a fly. “Boy, she messed with your head something awful, didn’t she? It didn’t matter how much you did for that girl, it was never enough and it never would be. She wasn’t your type plain and simple. It had nothing to do with who worked where.”

“But, still—”

“Listen. You need to get over that and move on. I think a date with Karen would be the perfect way to show how much you’ve moved on.”

“You’re relentless, you know that?” Mike laughed a short laugh.

“I’m a mother.”

 Heading west, Mike turned the vehicle onto the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Driving past Rocky Point, Mike said, “Okay, the report that came in said the body was found on the north side, before the boat launch. You see anything yet?”

“Not yet, but we’re just getting on the causeway now.”

“Keep your eyes peeled. Traffic along here is ripping by at sixty or seventy miles an hour. It’s gonna make it difficult to find a safe place to stop.”

“I see lights now up ahead.”

“So do I. Watch for a place to turn in and follow the side street. I’ll probably have to—” Mike hit the brakes. “Wait, there’s one now. Watch our back. I’m gonna make this turn.”

Braking quickly and deftly turning the car onto the access road, Mike slowed down. They bounced along the unevenly paved road until they reached a point where so many police cars and rescue trucks were parked they could no longer pass.

****

Seagulls flew overhead, crying loudly. Fluffy cotton ball clouds dotted the deep blue sky. Susan quickly glanced at the sun. It was going to be another hot day. Hot and humid. Far off to the east, she could see a buildup of clouds. Maybe if they were lucky it’d rain this evening. She crossed her fingers that the rain would hold off until they finished working.

She looked to her right out over the rocks clinging to the shoreline. The Courtney Campbell Causeway divided a portion of Tampa Bay. It was actually divided in thirds by the Howard Frankland and Gandy bridges as well. The causeway bridge was the furthest north.

Hurrying to meet with the officer in charge, Mike and Susan carried their cases of equipment necessary to work the scene.

“Connelly, Parker, glad it’s you two.” The officer in charge wiped a large hand across his face, wiped it on the side of his trousers, and then held it out for them to shake.

“Hey, Shafer. What do you got here?” Mike asked.

“Jogger saw something suspicious in the brush, called it in as a 911. Patrol arrived to check it out and found the body, fully clothed. Looks like its laying right where it fell.”

“Shot?”

“Not so far as we can tell. No blood stain.”

“We’ll check it out closer and let you know. Is the scene secure?” Susan interrupted the all male chatter.

“Yes, ma’am. Patrol secured it then cordoned off a generous portion of the scene just for you folks. No one’s been in there since.”

“Well, let us get in and get to work.”

Susan opened her case and grabbed the camera. First thing she needed to do was to take photos of everything, from the body to the rest of the area surrounding it. While she was recording the scene with the camera Mike would sketch and measure to record it on paper. It was a good thing that the county let them use digital cameras now. She never did like having to change out the film and carry around all those film canisters.

Thirty minutes later, Susan stopped for a moment to wipe away the sweat so she could see through the viewfinder. Blinking, she checked the image again. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled with uneasy familiarity. She called out, “Yo, Mike. Come and take a look at this.”

Winding up the tape measure, watching where he placed his feet, Mike made his way carefully to Susan who was standing just slightly away from the body. “What’d you find?”

“Something very interesting.”

“Yeah?”

“Take a look at this.” She pointed to the ground. “Look familiar?”

“You’ve gotta be kidding.”

“Yeah, right. As if this one wasn’t strange enough.”

“Want me to handle it?”

“Nah, I was just finishing up with the shots anyway. I’ll go get the casting stuff out of the back of the truck.”

“What do you think the odds are that we’d find the same kind of footprint at two separate scenes in less than a week?”

Susan shook her head in disbelief as she made her way back to the SUV. They’d been lucky with this footprint. If it had been winter, the ground would be too hard and dry. With the rains they’d been having every day, it kept the ground moist enough to hold a print.

On her way back to the cordoned off scene, Susan saw Mike talking to Officer Shafer. She figured he was telling him about the print and their case the other day. Ducking slightly, she walked under the police tape. She placed the casting materials on the ground near her and checked the print. She wouldn’t need much, just enough to cover the print; it wasn’t deep into the ground like last time.

Letting her mind wander a bit while she mixed up the water and plaster, Susan thought that this would be the perfect opportunity for Mike to speak to Karen. He could be the one to tell her about the similar footprint. Susan smiled to herself. Anything for love.

Having finished recording the scene and waiting for the cast to dry, Mike and Susan turned their attention to the body. Moving carefully so as not to disturb the drying mold, they used gloved hands to search for obvious signs of trauma. Finding none, they examined the head.

“He could have fallen and hit his head on one of those rocks,” Susan pointed out.

“Yeah, except there’s no swelling.”

“So, he’s walking along and just drops dead?”

“Stranger things have happened.”

“Maybe.” Susan pondered the situation. “Did you check for ID?”

“Yeah, didn’t find anything. So far, he’s Mr. John Doe.”

Susan turned to the body. “Well, Mr. Doe, what’s your story? And how much of it are you going to tell us?”

“I doubt he’s gonna do much talking until we get him on a table. Maybe a tox report will give us some answers.”

“Let me go grab a sheet and a bag. Why don’t you let Shafer know what we found out so far.”

“Don’t you mean what we didn’t find out?”

“You trying to get smart with me?”

“No, ma’am.” Mike grinned as he ducked under the police tape surrounding the scene. “Just stating a fact.”

“Hey, Mike,” Susan called him back. “Since you’re in such a good mood. How about I arrange a date for you?”

“Who?”

“What do you mean who? Karen Sykes.”

“What? Didn’t we just have this conversation?” Mike frowned. “No way.”

“Come on. Just do it for me? I know you two would get along great if you just gave yourself a chance.”

“I don’t know.”

“Give yourself a chance.”

“She probably wouldn’t want to go anyway.” Mike slapped the gloves he’s been wearing against his thigh. “I haven’t had much luck lately.” He choked back a laugh. “What am I telling you all this for, anyway?”

“I know. I know. That’s why I think you should just listen to your Auntie Susan and let me handle all the details.”

“I gotta be stupid.”

“No, you’re not. You’re finally doing something smart.”

“We’ll see.”

“Just leave it up to me. I’ll make all the arrangements. I’ll let you know when and where, you just be there.”

“Connelly? What’d you two come up with?” Shafer called out.

“Seriously, Mike. I’ll take care of it.”

“Connelly?”

Mike turned as if to head toward the officer in charge, but stopped in mid step and turned back. “Fine,” he muttered and stalked off toward the biggest group gathered around Officer Shafer’s car. Susan watched him fall into conversation with them probably explaining the lack of injury to the body.

****

After retrieving the sheet and black body bag, Susan checked it carefully to make sure it didn’t contain any stray evidence from a previous occupant.

Susan called out to Mike, “Hey, Mike. I’m gonna need your help here.”

“Sure thing. I’m on my way.” Mike turned from the group and headed back to the scene.

Unfolding the sheet with Mike’s help, they placed it next to the body. After lifting the body onto the sheet, they folded it over carefully then lifted the body, sheet and all into the bag.

“I’ll ride along with the body and collect the clothes and fingerprints,” Susan said after she packed up her equipment.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I don’t mind. You took the last one.”

“Okay, then. Meet you back at the lab?”

“See you there.”

Susan climbed into the transport vehicle and pulled out her cell phone. While she waited for the technician to drive to the medical examiner’s facility, she placed a call to Karen.

“Yo, girlfriend.”

“Hi, Susan, what’s up? I’m sitting in front of a suspect’s house. Can you make it quick?”

“Do you have any plans for tonight?”

“Tonight? No, not really. I did have a date with a frozen dinner and my television but I can always cancel. What do you want to do?”

“Not me. Mike.” Susan smiled as the medical technician climbed behind the steering wheel and started the van. In seconds they were heading back east on the Courtney Campbell Causeway back toward Tampa and the office.

“What?”

“Yep. I convinced Mike to give you a chance. So don’t blow this.”

“Blow this? I haven’t even said I’ll go.”

“You’ll go. You know you will. You can’t say no. I already told him you would.”

“Oh, God, Susan. He must think I’m the most desperate female in all of Tampa.”

“Not quite.”

Karen chuckled. “Very funny.”

“Now see, that’s what I’m talking about. Get yourself in a good mood. This is gonna be fun, for both of you.” Susan smiled. She knew her two friends were going to hit it off.

Sounding resigned but excited, Karen asked. “Okay, so where am I meeting Mike?”

“I was thinking Miguel’s Mexican Café, over on Kennedy? It’s a nice place and friendly. You do like Mexican food, right?”