Silent Crime Page 16

  The case for the defense was strong, but the media had already done enough to hurt the case, and the public hated the accused so much that overturning the verdict would surely upset the masses. But what did he care? He was going to announce his retirement next week, and by the time anyone was onto him, he’d have already disappeared with his money and his fine woman.

  Whom, for some reason, wasn’t answering the phone. He hung up and dialed again, but he got the same results.

  He took another bite of his sandwich and heard a knock at the door. “The verdict is in,” said Linda as she cracked open the door.

  He waved her in and swallowed his bite of food, and he took the slip of paper from her. “Thanks, Linda.”

  He read the note and then stood to put on his robe. He hadn’t felt this nervous before, but perhaps it was the large payoff that had him so rattled. It was the largest sum of money he’d ever received for his abuse of power, and what he was about to do was going to make waves.

  Knowing he’d have a little more time to kill, he tried Kami again. This time, the phone rang eight times, and a man finally answered. “Kami’s phone,” he said.

  Before he could ask who it was, he heard Kami freaking out on the other end. “You answered it?” There was a little giggling and the sound of shock coming through. “Give it to me!”

  For a moment, he thought it could be a friend or another friend’s boyfriend. Surely, things with he and Kami were going well. He’d told her all about the money and how they were going to spend it together. “Kami?”

  “Hey, Ray.” She didn’t sound glad to hear him. “Look, I really can’t talk.”

  “Now, or ever again?” He felt his blood racing as his face grew red hot.

  “It’s just not going to work out. Your drama is just not for me, and I’m sick of your wife calling. But honestly, she’s a good person, and well, she told me how you’re leaving her and your kid high and dry.”

  Ray wanted to snap his stupid wife’s neck. “You can’t believe anything she says, Kami. She’s a crazy person.”

  “Look, it doesn’t matter, okay? I’ve met someone else and left town. But just a heads-up, I told your wife about your dirty money. Didn’t seem fair that you would hide it from your kid. I grew up with a deadbeat dad, and honestly, I feel bad for Dax and Marlo.”

  “You fucking whore! I’m going to find you, and when I do, I’ll kill you!” He realized the phone had gone dead, and he had been screaming at dead air. The first thing he would do with his dirty money was put out a hit on that whore and make sure that she was tossed in the river or fed to a hungry pack of dogs.

  Another knock sounded at his door, and knowing it was Linda again, he snapped. “What the fuck do you want?”

  Linda peeked into the room again, visibly shaken. “They are about to announce you. The courtroom is already full.”

  Bunch of assholes. They can fucking wait! He pulled out a flask from his bottom drawer and took a hearty swig. Now was not the time for his plans to start falling apart. He couldn’t believe that his stupid wife knew about the money, and while he was stuck in court, having no choice but to go out there and deliver his verdict for his money, she could be at his house looking for his stash.

  He realized he had to get out there and hurry this thing along so he could get his ass home. He went to the door in time for his announcement, and he tried to hold in his emotions so no one could tell he was upset.

  He took the bench and looked out over all of the faces looking back at him. “Please be seated. At this time, I’m going to let the jury deliver their verdict. I’d like for everyone to remain calm and keep order as the decision is read.”

  He handed the floor to the jury foreman, who was standing proudly, ready to do his civic duty, and Ray let out a deep breath and then tried to stay focused. If Marlo knew about the money already, then she probably had a good idea how he’d gotten it. He’d have to come up with an excuse and hope she didn’t talk. Maybe he could buy her silence? But the thought of her having any of his money made him sick to his stomach. He’d worked his ass off for it while she’d done nothing.

  The juror’s voice became clearer. “We find the defendant guilty.”

  Those words and the collective sigh across the courtroom brought his head around. It was time to do what he had been paid to do. “Thank you, jury. I know the decision wasn’t easy. The prosecution made a strong case, and while I can see why some might take the case to heart and judge accordingly, I cannot let my emotions or things I see and hear in the media affect my decisions. So, at this time, taking into consideration the jury’s hard work with the utmost respect, I have to give my final ruling against their findings.”

  A few of the people gasped, and the prosecutor sat down in his chair as if knowing what was about to happen.

  “I find in favor of the defendant, based on the lack of evidence in this case.” The courtroom exploded with noise of outrage, and the defendant and the lawyer shook hands. One of the men, obviously someone representing the prosecution, leaped over the partition and headed straight for the bench. “I’ll gut you like a pig you dirty, crooked son of a bitch!” The bailiffs tackled him, and Ray slammed his gavel.

  Ray took off out the door, and by the time he got to his chambers, it was a madhouse out there. He shut himself inside and thought of his new strategy. He had to get to his car, and today, knowing what he had to do, he pulled it around by the sally port and parked it there. A sudden thought came to mind to go before anyone else made it to the back hallway. He could be in his car while everyone crowded the front halls.

  He took off like a shot, but by the time he made it to the short hall that also led to the holding area, the man who had come after him was there, being led out by the guards in handcuffs. “You filthy pig!” he screamed again upon seeing Ray.

  Then the man jerked himself away from the guards, and he ran over and pushed Ray to the floor with a hard slam to the head. Before Ray could get up, the guards already had him and were all gathered around the judge to make sure he was okay.

  “I’m fine!” he snapped. “I just need to go!” He got to his feet and hurried down the rest of the hall and out the side door to the lot where his car waited. He had to get home and see if Marlo had taken her chance to ruin his life.

  Chapter 26

  Judge Ray Mathews

  Ray got inside his car just in time for reporters to crowd his vehicle, but thankfully with a little encouragement, they soon backed off, and he found his way onto the road. He sped across town to his fancy house, and sure enough, Marlo’s car was in the drive.

  He was so worked up, he knew he had to calm down, or he was going to kill her. And he had no plans of doing that. He didn’t want to raise Dax, and giving the kid one less parent would null that idea.

  He pulled into his drive and parked next to her car, not wanting to block her in. If he could get her to leave, that was the best thing he could do. He knew she was going to be tearing the house apart looking for his stash of money, and he still couldn’t believe that Kami had not only betrayed what they had, but she had ratted him out.

  He went to the front door, and when he opened it to go inside, he could already hear the sounds of Marlo rummaging through the house.

  “Marlo!” He went to where the sound was, which was in his home office. “What are you doing in here?” She had totally destroyed the room, but luckily, the secret panel wasn’t open, and she didn’t seem to have found what she was looking for.

  Marlo looked over her shoulder with wide, fearful eyes. “Just fucking up your life like you did mine!”

  “You crazy bitch. I didn’t fuck your life up. If anything, I made it better.” He got in front of her face. “You need to leave before you make me do something that I’ll regret.”

  “Like slap me? Oh, go ahead. And I’ll call the police, and you’ll go to jail. I know how domestic calls work, and I’ll tell them that you’ve been beating me for years.”

  “Try it. You’ll fin
d that you’re way off on how things work, and when I get done with you, you’ll have paid for that move dearly.”

  “Oh, you mean that corruption. The way you’ve made all of your money? I know all about it. Your little Kami didn’t take to your dirty ways. So I guess she’s not so bad after all, but you? Wow, you’ve really done well for yourself. You traded your integrity for cash.”

  “She’s a liar and doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

  Marlo smiled. “Right. I’m sure she doesn’t. But hey, I’m all done here. With you, with your house. You can have it.” She turned and pushed past him, and he grabbed her arm to stop her.

  “Don’t make this hard on yourself. You don’t want to fuck with me, Marlo. Just give me a simple divorce. You can go on with your life, keeping your mouth shut, and I’ll make sure you and Dax have what you need.”

  “I’m done living according to your expectations, Ray. I hope you rot in hell. But don’t worry, when I leave, you won’t hear from me again.”

  She jerked her arm away and headed straight for the door.

  Bitch. He let her go, knowing it was for the best before things got any uglier. And as soon as he heard her car leave, he decided to check on his money. But then, he thought about the workshop in the basement and what she’d said about ruining his life.

  He went to the basement, and as he went down the stairs, he could already tell that things were fucked up from the pile of tools strewn around the room. “Son of a bitch!” He hurried down the stairs, and it only got worse. Marlo had turned over his entire work table, and all of the tiny pieces from the ships he liked putting together were scattered like debris around the room. “I’ll fucking kill her.”

  He walked over and found the coffee can where he had his stash of drugs, and luckily, she hadn’t opened the thing and dumped it out. Ray pulled out one of the hand-rolls and lit it, hoping it would calm his nerves. He picked up his chair and turned it upright. Then he sat down and took a long pull from the joint.

  She had truly hit him where it hurt. He reached down and picked up one of his broken ships, and it fell apart in his hands, the mast had already splintered in two. He took a deep breath and decided he wasn’t going to let it get in his way. He had his money and his plans, and even though he didn’t have anyone to skip town with him, he could make a good life of adventure and find someone new to share it with—or a hundred someones with the money he had tucked away.

  Even though there was an insane amount hidden in his house, another, larger sum was coming, funneled into a private bank account where the rest of his dirty money was hidden.

  He tossed the other half of the broken ship to the floor and then walked up the stairs to go clean up his office. He was much too sick to deal with his workshop.

  He took one last pull off the joint and snuffed it out on his shoe. Then he left it on the top step and went back into the main part of his house. He walked down the long hall to his office and began picking up the books and some of the things that belonged on his desk; his nameplate and the ugly pencil holder his son has made him out of a tin can and construction paper. Then he looked over at the bookshelf from his desk and realized the panel to the bookshelf had been disturbed.

  From the door, it didn’t look noticeable, but the opposite angle revealed raw wood that told him someone had tampered with it. He held his breath, hoping he was wrong and that maybe he’d just not secured it properly the last time.

  Ray squatted down in front of it and pulled open the panel, seeing the safe behind it was still closed all the way. He typed in his password on the keypad, which he doubted Marlo would guess. Does she even remember my mother’s birthday?

  But when he opened it, the money inside was gone. His face felt hot, and he fell back onto his butt. He was going to kill her. She had taken his money and probably had it in the car when he showed up. He had walked right past it. Then she had come back into the house to make it look like someone had broken in, but he’d caught her in the act.

  “That bitch is dead!” he shouted. He didn’t care if he did kill her. He could always buy his way out of trouble, just like everyone else did. He’d done enough favors to get away with murder. At least if he got to Marlo before she blabbed to anyone. The best thing about his wife was she didn’t have many friends, and he didn’t know of anyone who would have been a confidant to her for something she needed to keep confidential.

  He doubted she’d gone to one of her girls’ nights with the other fat-ass loser wives and shared that she’d suddenly gained millions, but it wouldn’t stop her from bragging in other ways that might draw suspicion. He had to get to her before she did something stupid.

  He got up and stormed out of his office, and when he walked past his kitchen, something heavy cracked him on the head. Before he could react, a dark figure stuck something in his neck. He instinctively reached up and tried to grab the man’s hood to pull it off, but before he could do it, his arms turned to limp noodles, and everything went black.

  Chapter 27

  Jake

  Finding the chief proved harder than it should have been. Jake and Jo returned to the station to find he had taken an extended lunch, and for some reason, he wouldn’t answer his phone.

  “Damn,” said Jo, looking down at her phone as they stood outside his office. “That’s five times I’ve called, and he still won’t answer.”

  Jake was sick of standing around, waiting. “What if something has already happened to him? We need to consider where else to look for him.”

  “Is it uncommon for him to take an extended lunch?” asked Jo.

  “It’s rare for him to be anywhere but his office. He usually doesn’t even leave the station for lunch, just brings a sandwich or orders in something.” Jake couldn’t think of a time he’d ever left sick.

  “Let’s ask Dannie. Maybe she knows what happened to him.” Jo turned and walked down to the woman’s front desk.

  Dannie looked up from where she sat. “Can I help you, detectives?” She gave a bored look and then turned her attention to the computer in front of her.

  “Yeah, do you know where the chief went?”

  Dannie shrugged and reached for the fingernail file she kept in her pen holder. “He had to make a run by his house, and then he was coming back.”

  “How long ago was that?” asked Jake.

  “He left just before noon. He really should have been back by now, but maybe he decided to take the rest of the day off or had an appointment.” She seemed bored by the whole exchange. “You could call him.”

  Jo let out a sound of frustration. “He’s not answering his cell phone. I’ve tried five times.”

  Dannie shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you,” she said, putting the file back in its place.

  “Well, you’ve been a big help,” said Jo, earning a look from Dannie.

  As they stepped away from the desk, Jake leaned in close to Jo. “We’re going to have to go to his house. I know where he lives. It’s about five minutes from here.”

  “Let’s hope he’s okay.”

  “Yeah, let’s hope he made it there.” Jake didn’t know if they were panicked for no reason. He had so many questions about what could have happened to make the Hangman want to go after the chief. It was the old chief who had the spotty record. Chief O’Connor had only been around for a few years, and the department had taken a turn for the better since.

  They made it to the car, and as Jake drove away from the parking lot, Jo shook her head. “I really don’t know what it could be. If he’s crooked, he’s had me fooled. But you know, he was sure willing to excuse those warrants and even knew just who to send us to.”

  “Yeah, but knowing things doesn’t mean he does that unless it’s necessary.” Jake wasn’t ready to believe the chief had anything to do with the corruption, but in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder if someone had influenced him. Peer pressure was always a problem in any department, but for someone to have gotten to the chief? Jak
e guessed anything was possible.

  Jake slowed the car and then pulled onto the chief’s street. “He may not be here, and if so, I don’t want to alarm his wife.”

  “Good point. Chief would have our heads if we did that.” Jo raked her hand through her hair and then twisted it up in a bun, using a tie from her pocket. Jake’s attention was on her and not the road.

  A black truck coming toward them passed, and Jo screamed. “That’s him!” She pointed out the front windshield, but then her head followed the black truck until she was turned around in her seat.

  Jake hit the brakes and did a quick turn around. Luckily, Jake caught him at the end of the street where he flashed his lights and drove up beside him. “Hey,” said Jo, waving her arms.

  O’Connor stopped the car and looked at her like she was crazy. “What’s the meaning of this?” he asked as he rolled down his window.

  She let hers down too. “Thank goodness you’re okay,” said Jo. She seemed sincerely relieved.

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” His tone was scolding. “People wonder why I don’t bother going home for lunch. First, my wife springs a new living room sofa on me, and now I’m being tracked down by the two of you.”

  “Sorry, Chief,” said Jake. “We’ve been trying to contact you and got no answer. Besides, you are two and a half hours late. We started to worry.”

  “That’s because I left my phone at the office by mistake. I’m fine, but I need to get back there. Did you need something?”

  Jake felt like an asshole for worrying so much. “We’ll follow you back and fill you in at the station.” He figured they should get as far away from his home as possible, and the station was a good, safe place.