Kentucky Murders: A Small Town Murder Mystery Page 21
“Yeah these boys like to get an early start on their drinking.”
“Do you think these guys would recognize you?”
“Possible, but I doubt it. Unless I’ve arrested them. I doubt if they’re voters. Although, I did work in a nearby factory for a few years.”
“Okay. If they do recognize you, we just ask our questions and see what we can get. Otherwise, we’ll have a beer and observe for a little while. You just follow my lead. When it’s time, let me ask the questions.”
They walked to the black front door and opened it.
“You’re the boss.”
Inside they found smoke, county rock, and darkness. They had to pause for a few seconds until their eyes adjusted. A topless, g-string clad blond slowly maneuvered around a pole on a small stage. Zack couldn’t tell if she was bored on drugs. Probably both.
Tina pointed to a booth in a corner and Zack followed. No one seemed to notice them.
She sat first and he slid in next to her. He hadn’t been this close to her before. She wore some sort of perfume that Zack found very sexy. He forced himself to look away and scanned the bar.
“I don’t see any skinheads or guys wearing sheets with pointed hats,” he said, smiling.
“A little white supremacist humor?” She shook her head.
He shrugged.
A waitress approached. She wore Daisie Duke’s, a tied off shirt exposing her four pack and most of her breasts. “What can I get you?”
“Two draft beers.”
Without asking what kind, the waitress walked off.
“Looks like mostly biker types.” She thought about the guy from McDonalds and wondered if he would show up.
“So what now?”
“Relax. We wait, observe, and drink our beer.”
The drinks arrived a few minutes later.
“What exactly are we looking for?”
“First we look to see how they react to a white guy with an Asian woman. If nothing happens, we’ll ask the bartender a few questions.” She took a swig of her beer.
Zack drank his beer and continued to scan the room.
“Put your arm around me.”
He looked at her.
“Come on. We’re under cover.”
Reluctantly, sort of, he complied. Her hair was silky smooth. She had left her jacket in the car and unbuttoned several shirt buttons to play the part. She’d also removed the band holding her hair and it now hung freely over her shoulders. Now, he really hoped no one recognized him.
Ten minutes passed and nothing happened.
Finally, Agent Simpson finished her beer, buttoned her shirt and slipped out of the booth. “Come on.”
They went to the far end of the bar and motioned for the bar tender to come over.
Fifty-something, blue jean and tee shirt clad, he moved down to them.
“What you need?”
Tina took out a badge and spoke low so others couldn’t hear. “I'm with the FBI and this is the County Sheriff.”
“I thought I recognized you, Sheriff. I voted for you. What you doing? Got a little slant-eye on the side?” He winked.
“We’re investigating a murder.” Tina ignored his comments. “Anyone come in here bragging about killing some blacks?”
“Shit, hell no. Just because a guy rides a bike or drives a pickup doesn’t mean he’s a bigot. This is my place. I’m a retired Marine. I wouldn’t put up with scum like that in here. I heard about the murders.”
“Any ideas of who might have done it?”
“None of the locals would burn a cross or any shit like that. And I know pretty much all of them. Hell, some of our best customers are black.”
“Any other groups in the area you know of?”
“No. And I would have heard.”
Agent Simpson took out a card and handed it to him. “You hear anything, call me.”
“Hell, might call you even if I don’t.” He winked.
The FBI agent chuckled just slightly and headed for the door. Zack followed.
Outside, Zack said, “You believe him?”
“Yeah, I do. Let’s head back to town.”
Chapter 16
Back at the office Zack and Agent Simpson handed the evidence bags over to Rachel. Agent Simpson stepped up. “Did they call the number we gave the other deputy?”
Rachel nodded. “I spoke with your guy Joe myself. I’m on it.”
Zack looked into the faces of his four deputies. They seemed to be waiting for his next command. Normally first shift would be wrapping up and Zack and they would be heading home soon. Not tonight. They had a murder to investigate.
“You two,” Zack pointed at the two day shift deputies. “Go to the locker room and get cleaned up, then get something to eat. You’re on short notice standby in case we need you later.”
They disappeared down the hallway.
He turned to the others. “Have we found the girl’s family members yet?”
“We have the name, address and phone number of her Aunt in Chicago, but so far we haven’t gotten a hold of her.”
“Did you contact Chicago PD?”
They looked at each other. “We were just about to.”
“I think I’d like to talk to this girl,” said Agent Simpson from behind Zack.
He turned. “I can take you over there, Agent--”
“Call me Tina. Looks like we’ll be working together for a while. I’ll call you Zack, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure, Tina. Should we take my car?”
“Tell you what. Write down the directions and I’ll head over there. I’ll need to find a hotel later anyway. Looks like I’ll be here a few days.”
“Okay, I check on a few things here, and then I’ll meet you there in about thirty minutes.”
As she walked to the parking lot a few minutes later, the directions written on a piece of paper in her hand, she paused and looked back. Zack waived. She smiled back, got into her vehicle and pulled away.
---
Kate looked at her computer screen and saw the time was after five. Normally she would have left for home by now, but tonight was different than most nights. Jimmy must be getting hungry. Like his dad, he was always hungry.
She stood and left her office for the community room. Jimmy and Sharnita sat in front of the television watching cartoons. Her coworker looked relieved to see Kate. She probably wanted to head home too. Jennifer, the night shift social worker had just arrived and would soon be taking over attending to their guests for the evening.
“Hey kids. It’s time for Sharnita to meet my friend, Jenny. She’ll be fixing her some supper and taking care of her tonight.”
Jimmy and the girl stood and walked toward Kate. A look of concern crossed the girl’s face. As the dayshift girl left the room she called out, “Good night kids. See ya, Kate.”
In the hallway they met up with an older African American man in uniform, the night shift security guard. “Kate.” He nodded and turned to her son. “Hey, Jimmy.”
“Hi, Charles.” Jimmy had met him several times before.
“This must be our guest,” he said. “Hi little girl. What’s your name?”
Sharnita looked at him but didn’t speak.
“She’s not very talkative right now. This is Sharnita.” Kate ushered the kids down the hallway. “It’s dinner time.”
“Okay, I’ll be here if you need me, honey,” called Charles as they walked away.
Kate waved to the last of the other dayshift employees as they left the building. “Let’s go to the kitchen and see if dinner is ready. Maybe we’ll just eat here, Jimmy. I’m sure Daddy will be working late.”
“Yeah. Can we have hotdogs, Mom?”
---
Dusk approached as they watched a group of employees climb into their cars and drive away from the Social Services building. “It’s getting dark, let’s go.” Lee reached for the duffle bag.
Chapter 17
Lee and Donnie had slipped on their mas
ks and gathered their weapons. Lee reached and opened his door. “Let’s go.”
They trotted across the road holding their weapons along the sides of their legs in case a car passed by. They reached the building and stood against the brick wall next to the front entrance. Lee leaned and looked through the front glass doors. The reception desk was empty, the guard nowhere in sight. He motioned with his head for them to move and he went for the door.
When they entered the building the sound of voices muttered from some nearby room. Working their way toward the conversation, they held their guns up at the ready.
Lee stopped short of the doorway and raised a closed fist to Donnie who stepped up behind him and waited. Lee whispered, “Check down the hallway for the guard. I’ll wait here.”
Donnie nodded and went off.
Lee waited and listened. He watched Donnie step in front of each open doorway, presenting the barrel of his shotgun. Finally, at the far end he disappeared into a room. Lee watched, listened and waited. The conversation in the room continued. He heard both children’s and adults’ voices.
Finally, Donnie exited the room and came back toward Lee.
Lee turned his palms up and raised his eyebrows.
“All clear,” whispered Donnie.
“Let’s go.” Lee stepped into the doorway with Donnie close behind.
They came into a dining area with and adjoining kitchen. Kate stood in the kitchen and the rest of the group sat around eating at a table. Lee spotted the other female worker they’d seen arrive for work earlier, four children including the black girl, some other woman, probably a mother, and the guard.
The little white girl saw them first and cried out in fear.
The rest of the group turned to look at them. Lee and Donnie pointed their guns at them and Lee said, “Keep clam. We don’t want to hurt anyone if we don’t have to.”
The guard slowly moved his hand toward his gun in a holster at his waist. Donnie stepped forward and called out, “Don’t try it old man. Put up your hands.”
The guard obeyed and Donnie reached down and took his gun, slipping it under his own belt.
Kate called from the kitchen. “What do you want?”
“We just want the girl.”
The mother reached down and held her little girl.
“Not her, the other one.”
Kate stepped from the kitchen toward the table.
“Stop right there,” called Lee, waving his gun at her.
“Leave her alone.” Kate stood still when Lee pointed his gun directly at her.
“Tie him up and then the others.” Lee motioned to Donnie.
Donnie leaned his shot gun against the wall and reached into his pocket, removing a handful of plastic zip-ties. “You first.” He nodded to the guard. “Stand, turn around and put your hands together.”
Lee motioned with his gun barrel toward him. “Do it!”
The guard reluctantly stood and turned.
Lee stepped over and separated the black girl from the group.
Within a few minutes the other’s hands were zipped behind their backs and Donnie got to work on their feet. When he finished rendering the group helpless, Donnie grabbed the arm of the black girl and pulled her toward the door. Only her hands were tied so she could walk. Lee took the girl’s hand from Donnie and they exited the room
“You won’t get away with this!” yelled Kate.
---
Tina glanced down at her directions and then back up at the sign ahead. She slowed, turned right and saw the Social Services building to the left. She pulled into the driveway and took a parking spot near the front doors. As she got out of her car, she looked up at the sky which had turned from dusk to nighttime while she had been in route. After adjusting her shoulder holster under her jacket, she turned and walked toward the main entrance of the building.
As she opened the front glass door she heard a loud voice call out from a room down the hallway. She immediately found cover near the front counter and drew her weapon. She peaked around the counter and saw two men in masks exit a doorway. They held shotguns and one of them dragged a small black girl along with him.
Tina stayed low and out of sight but reached up onto the counter and lifted the phone from the desk. She laid down the handset and dialed 911. She then took her position crouching along the counter.
She didn’t want to put the girl in danger but had no choice. She would remember to aim high. She rose quickly from her squatting position, swung her weapon toward the chest of the first gunman and called out, “FBI, stand still and put down your weapons!”
The gunmen stopped in their tracks. The one holding the girl stood still but the other one didn’t. He raised his barrel and fired.
Tina adjusted her site on middle of his upper body and pulled the trigger just as her left leg was knocked out from under her. She went down hard and her head smacked against the tiled floor. The sound reminded her of a watermelon being dropped onto cement. She saw a bright flash and the room began to spin. She fought to keep her consciousness. The two men had passed her and were almost to the front door. She could see she had hit the shorter one, as he walked hunched over. She raised her weapon and aimed at the second man but her vision blurred, then came back into focus. Before she could pull the trigger the room went black and she fell back and closed her eyes.
---
Zack sat at his desk. The phone rang, startling him. He scooped it up. “Yes?”
Chapter 18
Lee dragged the struggling girl across the street toward the van. He looked back and Donnie was following, but clearly struggling, hunched over in pain.
At the van Lee slid open the van’s sliding door. He laid his shotgun within, lifted the girl, sat back on the door ledge and placed her on his lap, restraining her with one arm. He reached around with his free hand and found the rag he’d soaked with chloroform, covering the girl’s mouth. She squirmed in his arms from fear and the acidic fumes she was inhaling. After ten seconds her movement slowed and eventually she hung limp in his arms. He held the rag in place for a few more seconds, then removed it, tossed it aside and lifted her unconscious body into the van. He quickly zip-tied her feet together and closed the door as Donnie dragged himself up to the van. Lee opened the passenger door for him and pushed him inside despite Donnie’s moans of pain. No time to check his wounds now. They had to get away.
A few minutes later they were several miles away driving in the opposite direction of Lee’s trailer. Finally, he made several right turns and was heading back toward his place.
Lee pulled the van into his car port ten minutes later. “We have to hurry and check you out before they are able to get road blocks set up.”
He got out, went around and check on the girl, who was still sound asleep, before helping Donnie into the trailer. Lifting his blood soaked shirt, he saw the gut wound. Donnie’s face was already losing color due to blood loss. Lee grabbed a bandage from the bathroom and taped it over the hole. He found no exit wound. The bullet was lodged inside. No telling what damage it had done.
“Can you walk?”
Donnie nodded painfully.
“We’ll go pick up my truck and head over to my cousin’s veterinary clinic. He should be able to remove that bullet and stitch you up. Keep pressure on it.” He placed Donnie’s hand over the bandage. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey and handed it to him. “For the pain.” Donnie took a long swig.
After helping Donnie back into the van he trotted around to the driver’s side. While pulling out he clipped one of the aluminum supports holding up the carport and tore it free from its ground connection. It scrapped along the side of the van as he backed out, then it swung back and forth, still connected from above, as he pulled away. “Oh well, I’ll never come here again anyway.”
They drove off toward the lake.
---
Zack pulled in at Social Services, exited his vehicle, and trotted toward the building. One of his deputies, who had been on the road p
atrolling, had arrived first on the scene. He stood with a group of people in the hallway near the reception counter. Kate and her coworker were kneeling down attending to someone lying on the floor.
Jimmy was among the group. He turned and spotted Zack approaching. He ran toward him and jumped into his arms. “Daaaaaaaaaaady!”
Holding Jimmy, he continued toward the group. When Kate turned and looked back, Zack could see Agent Simpson was the person lying on the floor.
“What happened?”
---
Lee turned onto the road leading to the lake. He looked over at Donnie whose eyes were closed as he slowly rocked with pain. His pale face dripped sweat.
He parked the van facing the lake and got out with the engine still running. Opening the side door, he lifted the unconscious girl and carried her over to his truck. Struggling with the door, he finally got her into the passenger seat.
Back at the van he removed the bottle of chloroform and the rag which he placed in a plastic zip-lock bag. After transferring the items to his truck he returned to the open driver’s window of the van and looked in at Donnie.
“Help me, man. I’m really hurting.” His voice was barely audible.
Lee looked at him but didn’t speak.
“Come on. You said--” he coughed a spray of blood into his hand--“your cousin…”
“Sorry, man. There’s nothing my cousin can do for you now. Shit, you’d be dead before we could get there.” Lee reached inside and pulled the gear shift down. “Nothing personal.”
He stepped back as the van lurched forward. Seconds later it crossed the bank and dropped two feet to the water. At first the rear bumper caught on the raised bank, and then the van floated free. Bubbles began to emerge from all around. It leaned to the right and began to sink. Lee was surprised it took several minutes to finally slip out of sight. Bubbles continued to break the surface of the water for another minute, then began to subside, and finally quit.