The Mourning Missed Page 9

  “Actually, it’s been the standard ten days,” he replied, smiling gently. He watched as she counted the days off in her head.

  “I guess I never really even thought about it, which is incredibly naïve on my part,” she conceded. “I suppose you’re right, it has been a pressing week. Yes, I would like to know the final outcome.”

  “You have been exonerated of any wrong-doing. In fact, the PC specifically referred to you as what we’re looking for in new recruits,” he shared with a grin. “And the incident with the Mayor’s mother has caused a good deal of friction between Mr. Mayor and his fair-haired boy, the Police Commissioner. You may not know this, but the PC works at the discretion of the Mayor, who can ask him to step down at any time.” Lilly’s surprise was evident. “The PC effectively told the Mayor that no one in Montrose City was above the law, not even his mother. I heard that didn’t go over very well.”

  Lilly grinned at the last. “I’m sure there is the occasional ticket-fixing that still goes on.”

  “Oh, all the time,” he admitted freely. “But when you boot a vehicle, it becomes a matter of public record because the towing fee is paid by the department. So now the First Mother, as she likes to be called, has a parking violation on her permanent record.”

  His face became solemn as he changed topics. “As for Sergeant Arana, she’s been demoted to corporal and placed on permanent administrative duty. She has fourteen years on the force but I doubt she lasts another six months, let alone six years. She’ll never be a supervisor again and the PC has yet to reach a determination on her charge of dereliction of duty.”

  “Well, I guess I know whose Christmas card list I’m not on,” Lilly snarked.

  “WHAT NEWS DO WE HAVE on the FBI’s investigation into Clint’s abduction?” Lilly asked as soon as Phillip answered his phone.

  “Well good morning to you, too,” he corrected. When Lilly remained silent, he addressed her question. “I just finished the morning debrief with the DA and no one is happy with their total lack of progress,” he replied. “I was going to call you as soon as I heard from IA. I asked to be notified of the results as soon as they were available.”

  “Detective Jefferson said it might be today, as it was so obvious,” she shared. “Did you know I was cleared on the Arana incident?”

  “Yeah, I’d heard that but haven’t seen the report yet. That doesn’t matter to me or the DA. We both knew you’d come out okay,” he replied.

  “That’s a huge vote of confidence for me,” Lilly enthused.

  “Indeed it is and well deserved, I might add,” he offered.

  “How much trouble will I get in if I start discretely asking question?” When he hesitated to answer, she blurted out her frustration and fear. “Boss, I just can’t sit on my hands while Clint may be dying somewhere.”

  “Your operant word has to be discrete, which is something you have in short supply,” he said baldly. “Not a problem generally, but when the feebies are involved they tend to be heavy-handed with anyone who interferes with their investigation. They play no favorites to LEOs.”

  “I can be discrete,” Lilly said demurely.

  Thirteen

  “I JUST WANTED TO MAKE sure you were alright,” Lilly said to Jenny as she sat with her behind the ICU Nurse’s Station. “It’s really soon for you to be back after that insanity.”

  “The best thing for me is to get right back to work,” Jenny assured her. “But I really appreciate you bringing the chocolates,” she smiled, taking another Bonbon from the box laying open on the work station countertop.

  “Is there a way to access the video from the Emergency Room entrance for Friday night?” Lilly asked as calmly as she could.

  “You know, I’ve already looked at it, trying to figure out which ambulance he was loaded into,” Jenny replied. “There were three that left within a twenty minute time period after I passed out. I remember thinking I was really tired for so early in the evening, after I looked at the clock to see it was only 7:43. That’s the last thing I remember until I became aware of Mica calling my name in the closet.”

  “Hasn’t the FBI already taken the tapes?” Lilly asked, surprised.

  “They made copies to enhance with their specialized equipment, so MCPD said they’d wait for those,” Jenny offered, frowning. “Does that mean they’re not doing anything until they get them?”

  “That’s hard to say, as I’m unfamiliar with the detectives’ protocols. How is it you know so much about the process?” Lilly asked in surprise.

  “The female FBI agent felt sorry for me due to my harrowing ordeal, as she put it,” Jenny smirked. “So I took advantage of her good nature and milked her for information.”

  “That’s great,” Lilly replied. “But why are you so interested?”

  “It happened on my watch and my patients were left unattended for nearly two hours,” Jenny replied, suddenly vehement. “That’s not acceptable and I will do everything I can to help put those assholes behind bars; whoever they may be.”

  “Well, let’s look at the tapes,” Lilly suggested. “Maybe we can discover something without them being enhanced.” Jenny pulled up the period in question and played it on her monitor. The images were grainy and the lighting wasn’t as good as it could have been. Still, they could definitely tell men from women and skin tone, even if it was black-and-white.

  Fifteen minutes into the video a tall, muscular black man and another tall, slender one rolled a gurney out and loaded it into an ambulance. Both individuals wore hospital whites and their passenger appeared to be deceased. A sheet was drawn up over the person’s face. Both moved with quiet efficiency but something about them caught Lilly’s attention.

  “Those two, why do they look familiar? They’re both really tall, at least six four, but there’s something else...there,” she exclaimed. “See the skinny one flinching as he lifts the stretcher? Run it again,” she said excitedly.

  “His limp is pretty pronounced, once you know what to look for,” Jenny agreed. “Why would they be transporting a corpse in an ambulance? They usually get picked up by the funeral home hearses or a van once the hospital releases them.”

  “Can you call down to the morgue and ask who was released last night?” Lilly asked. “I’ll bet there wasn’t one, or at least that person wasn’t.”

  “Why would you think that?” Jenny asked puzzled. “A body can’t be released without a Diener’s signature unless it’s after hours, then the pathology lab signs them out.”

  “Because, those two don’t work for the hospital and they’re not ambulance workers, either. The skinny one is DeLeon Andrews, I arrested him for assaulting a police officer last Wednesday. The big one is his buddy, Harlan Johnson.” She related briefly how she had met them. “If he hadn’t still been limping, I’d have missed it. So what are you up to, DeLeon?” She puzzled aloud just as realization dawned across her face. She snatched up the phone to call Phillip. “That wasn’t a corpse; that was Clint.”

  A LARGE BLACK SUV PULLED in seconds after Samuels arrived in his unmarked car. They all hustled inside to the screen where the video was cued up on the security room monitor. It was larger and facial features could be at least partially recognized.

  Mica was the only guard who had survived the purge of security staff after the hospital administrator had learned of Security’s actions the night before. Even the one who had reluctantly helped had been let go. Only Lilly’s good word for Mica had saved his job and the young man was now acting head of security. Once everyone was in place, he hit play.

  “There’s the first thing we saw wrong,” Lilly narrated. “Why are two hospital staff transporting a corpse in an ambulance? Funeral homes come and get the bodies after the morgue releases them, usually in a hearse or a van. Second, I recognized them. Watch the skinny one as he pushes against the gurney,” Lilly instructed. “See how he flinches?”

  “And you know these two how?” Special Agent-in-Charge Brimmer asked.

  “W
e busted them for reckless driving last week over in the high school parking lot,” she explained. “The skinny one got a little rambunctious and I had to club him on the knee. That’s why he’s limping.”

  “So, you’re Officer Jackson?” he said, suddenly realizing who she was.

  “No, I’m Deputy District Attorney Investigator Jackson,” she said, displaying her shield.

  “Well, Jackson, regardless who you still work for,” the SAC said with sarcastic emphasis. “That’s a bit of a stretch, isn’t it? Do you really expect us to believe two high school kids kidnapped a wounded police officer from the ICU?” Brimmer asked sardonically.

  “Well, the comatose officer certainly wasn’t defending himself,” she replied cuttingly. “Seeing as how the MCPD failed to put a guard on his room, even after the first attempt on his life; yeah. I believe my kid brothers could have pulled it off with the right guidance. Especially as MCPD chose instead to place officers in the lobby where the coffee and donut machines are.”

  “These guys aren’t doing this on their own. Someone is playing puppet-master and we need to find out whom. Also, how long has it been since you’ve worked the streets with young adults?” Lilly countered boldly. “I lived that environment until three months ago and I’ll tell you this. Inner-city high school juniors and seniors are more vicious, ruthless, and vengeful than any other segment of our society,” she proselytized.

  Brimmer looked at his other three agents, who all simply shrugged. “Didn’t we ask the MCPD specifically to order you to stand down?” he replied.

  “I heard you requested it, I’m just not sure it was followed through on,” Lilly smiled sweetly. “Especially as I no longer work for the Montrose City Police Department. So, are we going to go find Harlan Johnson and DeLeon Andrews, or should I go find a ruler so you guys can stand around here and measure your dicks?”

  THE INFORMATION LILLY had collected during the Arana fiasco remained in her notebook and she readily shared it with all involved. “They both attend the high school and are seniors. One is 18-years-old and the other is 19. One plays football, the other basketball. According to the Principal, they’re third cousins or some such distant relation, but are inseparable. She believes they might even live together or at least in the same apartment complex.”

  Reciting the address, she watched all the officers and agents present diligently write it down. “I’ll just wait here at the hospital in case you recover Clint; Officer Parsons,” she corrected. “If someone would be kind enough to make radio contact, we’ll get a team in here to examine him as soon as he arrives.” Lilly felt like she might be talking out of school but she was also quite certain she would indeed make that happen.

  “You don’t want to join us for the arrest and questioning?” Phillip asked, surprised.

  “I’m too close to the situation and I might not be as patient as needed,” she replied. “Plus, if they see me, it might give things away. Better if I wait here.”

  “That’s a very professional assessment for someone so new to the world of law enforcement,” the SAC said congenially. “I may have been completely wrong about you.”

  “Most people are,” Lilly replied softly.

  As they all filed out to coordinate the FBI SWAT team capture of the two wanted young adults, Mica watched her in awe. “You’re pretty amazing,” he said. “When I grow up, I want to be just like you. I can’t believe you turned down an opportunity to go on an FBI SWAT raid.”

  “Well, they’re probably not going to find anyone,” Lilly said simply. “It’s Saturday night. What high school jock is at home?”

  “Well then, where are you going?” Mica called after her.

  “Cruisin’ for studs,” she called back over her shoulder.

  Fourteen

  “I’M LOOKING FOR SOME big man action, but young stuff,” Lilly said to the middle-aged waitress. She was sitting at the counter of a diner six blocks north of Montrose City High School.

  The older black woman eyed her dubiously for a moment. “You kinda young stuff ya own self,” she replied.

  “Sister, I’m 25, I just look young because I’m Vietblackese,” Lilly lied easily.

  “They’s a Club Pyramid on 44th and Dr. King, lots of high school kids hang out there,” the waitress offered. “No booze, but plenty of party drugs available. You could pass.”

  “I appreciate it,” Lilly replied. “I’m just in town tonight and lookin’ to score.”

  “Tiny little thang like you, big man put a hurtin’ on that,” the waitress countered, rolling her eyes in disdain. “Yo bizness.”

  Paying for her coffee, Lilly sauntered back outside and walked to Clint’s car. No one who knew here would have recognized the long-haired, busty petite woman as Lilly Jackson. The padded bra added one cup size to her already full breasts. A long Pageboy wig she’d bought years before during a party phase concealed the outer quarter of her face.

  The car definitely wasn’t a cruiser; Clint was more interested in economy than style. But, she thought, wheels is wheels. She drove to the club and parked a half-block away. The stiletto heels she wore added four inches to her height and the clinging black mini-dress accentuated the natural curve of her backside.

  At the door, the bouncer looked her over once and opened up. Inside, music was blaring and multi-colored lights were flashing. Intermittent strobes flashing in syncopation with apparently nothing were initially disorienting. The room reeked of cheap perfume, grass, and sweat. It could have been an 80’s disco except for 2Pac and Mobb Deep blaring from the speakers. Wandering over to the bar, she asked for a Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri.

  Turning her back to the contact paper-covered plywood countertop, she stood sipping it as she surveyed the room. Couples were gyrating on the dance floor, but there was more writhing going on in the back of the room on sofas and overstuffed chairs. Several women were in the process of riding the wild pony. One couple was locked tightly together on a sofa with his pants around his ankles and her skirt up over her chest.

  Looking for the two familiar faces would be harder than she thought, so she began wandering around the room. As the wall became a hallway running into the back end of the building, Lilly glanced down the dim aisle and saw DeLeon with his arms around an Amazon of a woman nearly his height. They were stuck together at the lips and paying attention to nothing else. Good, now where’s cuz? she wondered.

  She made a complete circuit of the room without spotting Harlan. Knowing if DeLeon was there Harlan most likely was, she eased up the stairs onto the second-floor balcony for a better field of view. She had watched them both move on the hospital video so many times, she was certain she would recognize him.

  The balcony seemed to be empty, so she moved to the center and stood next to a beam. Deciding Harlan wasn’t there after all, Lilly turned to head downstairs. She meant to find a payphone to call Phillip’s mobile and tell him where DeLeon was. Instead, she ran straight into Harlan Johnson.

  “Hey, mama, whatchoo doin’ all ‘lone up heah?” He slurred. “Mebbe you n’ me can get busy back heah,” he continued, grasping for her shoulder and missing as he turned toward the rear of the room. The massive wristwatch he wore tangled in her wig when his grab missed and he pulled it roughly from her head. Struggling to focus on her, he stuttered. “Hey, I know you, you dat bitch hurt DeLeon,” he slurred, barely able to form sentences.

  When he reached for her again, she slapped his hand away and snapped her forearm against his exposed trachea. Grabbing his throat while making gagging noises, he tried to turn for the stairs but tangled his feet and toppled to the floor. The room boomed with the impact of his massive body on the suspended floor, but no one seemed to notice over the music. Lilly watched his head carom off the concrete floor and knew the blow in conjunction with his already drugged state probably rendered him unconscious.

  Stooping, she palpated his throat just to be sure. The pulse was strong and slow. Reaching under her skirt, she withdrew a pair of handcuffs fro
m an inner thigh holster and pulled off her spiked heels. Wrestling the 300 pound body over to the railing, she cuffed one wrist to the lower rung at the edge of the balcony.

  Turning to the stairs she saw DeLeon climbing them slowly, favoring his injured knee as he attempted to pierce the gloom in search of whatever had caused the noise he’d heard. Crouching to minimize her size she moved around the wall, holding her stilettos as weapons. They would have to make do if she was discovered and needed to defend herself. Stealing along the wall, she neared the staircase, standing partly behind DeLeon as she continued her escape.

  Stepping away from the wall, her foot found a floor lamp cord and tangled in it. That might have gone unnoticed, but the lamp falling away from the wall and crashing to the floor did not. The shattering of the heavy glass urn-shaped globe was clearly heard above the music. Several shouts from below signaled it was time for her to depart. DeLeon saw her and dashed across the short space. He was fast on the courts and, even injured, he reached her before she could start down the stairs.

  “My Lord, you watch over me and deliver unto me mine enemies,” he declared as his massive hands closed around her throat. Lilly knew she had only seconds before he crushed her windpipe. She could see the drug-induced insanity in his eyes as he slowly increased the pressure and realized he intended to kill her slowly. Winding up overhead, she struck the top of one elbow at the fold with the point of the stiletto heel.

  Blood sprayed her face from the soft tissue as the sharp metal punctured his skin. When that grip loosened, she delivered the same blow to the other elbow with the other shoe. A lack of leverage prevented her from doing as much damage, but DeLeon’s addled brain had informed him something was wrong with his arm. When he released her, she snapped a barefoot kick into his testicles. As he doubled-over, she dropped all of her weight onto her elbow at the base of his skull. His face smashed into the floor and his lanky form collapsed in a disjointed heap.