[Lady Justice 10] - Lady Justice and the Book Club Murders
Page 15
I saw her nod to her friends and they disappeared down the hall.
“You stay with Ox,” I said to Judy. “There’s a whole room full of cops in there. We’ll get this guy!”
Oscar had slipped into the old church and hidden in one of the seldom-used classrooms.
The place was cavernous with hallways leading in all directions. He figured he could remain hidden and wait for his chance to make his final kill.
When he saw the big guy slip away and head for the john, he knew that was his chance, but the timing just hadn’t worked out.
Who knew that the whole wedding party would follow him to the can?
He had no trouble surprising the guy with the stun gun and if he had just another two minutes, the whole thing would have been over.
He sprinted into the basement and headed to an outside entrance that opened into the parking lot.
He was almost there when two figures stepped out of the shadows and blocked his way.
He turned and ran into the kitchen of the old church.
He heard their footsteps behind him.
He headed for a door on the far side of the kitchen, but two more bodies blocked that exit.
There was one more way out. He headed for the third door, but it was blocked as well.
The figures stepped into the light and he recognized them. They were hookers that he had seen on the street when he had been cruising for his next victims.
There were three exits from the kitchen, but two of the women blocked each one.
He considered his situation.
He probably could’ve taken any one of them, but probably not two.
Maybe his best option was negotiation.
“Okay, can we talk about this?”
One of the women stepped forward, “Ain’t nothing’ to talk about. Crystal, Jasmine an’ Ruby was our friends an’ you kill’t ‘em. Now you is gonna pay.”
The six women advanced and Oscar screamed, “Please! No!”
It was the last words he would ever speak.
EPILOGUE
As soon as I spread the word, part of the cops surrounded the old church while the rest started a room-to-room search for the Librarian.
He was found in the kitchen, propped against the wall. A butcher knife belonging to the church protruded from his chest and a King James Version of the Bible lay in his hands, opened to the 26th Chapter of Matthew.
Circled in blood was the passage where Jesus admonished, “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”
Thinking back, I remembered seeing Maxine and her friends in the hall just after Ox was attacked.
It occurred to me that another biblical passage might have come into play that day, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”
It was ironic that the Librarian, a charter member of the Midtown Book Club, might have met his demise holding one of the oldest books in the world, at the hands of the women of one of the oldest professions in the world.
Naturally, Maxine and her friends were questioned, but they all had the same story. “When we heard dat de Librarian was in de buildin’, we got skeered an’ left.”
Each one, supported by five other witnesses, had airtight alibis.
Oscar Roach had written the final chapter in his bloody legacy. He had participated in the perfect crime, but as the victim, not the perpetrator.
Ox recovered nicely and was no worse for wear.
It probably wasn’t the wedding he had pictured, but it would certainly not be easily forgotten.
In the days following Roach’s death, I kept thinking about the ten lives he had taken.
According to Pastor Bob, people don’t commit these unspeakable crimes because of the presence of something evil, but rather because of the absence of something good.
I couldn’t help but wonder if someone --- anyone --- in Oscar Roach’s life had loved him and given him a sense of self worth, those ten people would be alive today.
Psychologists and sociologists have written reams exploring why people commit these atrocities, but maybe -- just maybe --- the answer is as simple as the admonition given by a Great Teacher two thousand years ago, “Love one another even as I have loved you.”
Unfortunately, we know that sometimes that just doesn’t happen.
In the past century there have been over four hundred documented serial killers and it is estimated that there are thirty-five to fifty in the United States at any given time.
Right now, there is a lonely child out there somewhere, longing for a loving touch and a kind word.
If it never comes, will that child be the next Oscar Roach?
God forbid, but if it happens, and the scales of Lady Justice are tilted toward evil once again, there will be those who will help right the scales.
I’m Walter Williams and that’s why I’m a cop.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning author, Robert Thornhill, began writing at the age of sixty-six and in four short years has penned fifteen novels in the Lady Justice mystery/comedy series, the seven volume Rainbow Road series of chapter books for children, a cookbook and a mini-autobiography.
Lady Justice and the Sting, Lady Justice and Dr. Death, Lady Justice and the Vigilante, Lady Justice and the Candidate, Lady Justice and the Book Club Murders and Lady Justice and the Cruise Ship Murders won the Pinnacle Award for the best new mystery novels of Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Summer 2012, Fall 2012, Spring of 2013 and Summer 2013 from the National Association of Book Entrepreneurs.
Many of Walt’s adventures in the Lady Justice series are anecdotal and based on Robert’s real life.
Although Robert holds a master’s in psychology, he has never taken a course in writing and has never learned to type. All 26 of his published books were typed with one finger and a thumb!
His wit and insight come from his varied occupations, including thirty-three years as a real estate broker. He lives with his wife, Peg, in Independence, Missouri.
Visit him on the Web at: http://BooksByBob.com
LADY JUSTICE TAKES A C.R.A.P.
City Retiree Action Patrol
Third Edition
This is where it all began.
See how sixty-five year old Walt Williams became a cop and started the City Retiree Action Patrol.
Meet Maggie, Willie, Mary and the Professor, Walt’s sidekicks in all of the Lady Justice novels.
Laugh out loud as Walt and his band of Senior Scrappers capture the Realtor Rapist and take down the Russian Mob.
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LADY JUSTICE AND THE LOST TAPES
In Lady Justice and the Lost Tapes, Walt and his band of scrappy seniors continue their battle against the forces of evil.
When an entire eastside Kansas City neighborhood is terrorized by the mob, Walt must go undercover to solve the case.
Later, the amazing discovery of a previously unknown recording session of a deceased rock ‘n’ roll idol stuns the music industry.
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LADY JUSTICE GETS LEI’D
In Lady Justice Gets Lei’d, Walt and Maggie plan a romantic honeymoon on the beautiful Hawaiian Islands, but ancient artifacts discovered in a cave in a dormant volcano and a surprising revelation about Maggie’s past, lead our lovers into the hands of Hawaiian zealots.
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LADY JUSTICE AND THE
AVENGING ANGELS
Lady Justice has unwittingly entered a religious war.
Who better to fight for her than Walt Williams?
The Avenging Angels believe that it’s their job to rain fire and brimstone on Kansas City, their Sodom and Gomorrah.
In this compelling addition to the Lady Justice series, Robert Thornhill brings back all the characters readers have come to love for more hilarity and higher stakes.
You’ll laugh and be on the edge of your seat until the big finish.
Don’t miss Lady Justice and the Avenging Angels!
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LADY JUSTICE AND THE STING
BEST NEW MYSTERY NOVEL ---WINTER 2012
National Association of Book Entrepreneurs
In Lady Justice and the Sting, a holistic physician is murdered and Walt becomes entangled in the high-powered world of pharmaceutical giants and corrupt politicians.
Maggie, Ox Willie, Mary and all your favorite characters are back to help Walt bring the criminals to justice in the most unorthodox ways.
A dead-serious mystery with hilarious twists!
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LADY JUSTICE AND DR. DEATH
BEST NEW MYSTERY NOVEL --- FALL 2011
National Association of Book Entrepreneurs
In Lady Justice and Dr. Death, a series of terminally ill patients are found dead under circumstances that point to a new Dr. Death practicing euthanasia in the Kansas City area.
Walt and his entourage of scrappy seniors are dragged into the ‘right-to-die-with-dignity’ controversy.
The mystery provides a light-hearted look at this explosive topic and death in general.
You may see end-of-life issues in a whole new light after reading Lady Justice and Dr. Death!
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LADY JUSTICE AND THE VIGILANTE
BEST NEW MYSTERY NOVEL – SUMMER 2012
National Association of Book Entrepreneurs
A vigilante is stalking the streets of Kansas City administering his own brand of justice when the justice system fails.
Criminals are being executed right under the noses of the police department.
A new recruit to the City Retiree Action Patrol steps up to help Walt and Ox bring an end to his reign of terror.
But not everyone wants the vigilante stopped. His bold reprisals against the criminal element have inspired the average citizen to take up arms and defend themselves.
As the body count mounts, public opinion is split.
Is it justice or is it murder?
A moral dilemma that will leave you laughing and weeping!
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LADY JUSTICE AND THE WATCHERS
Suzanne Collins wrote The Hunger Games, Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World and George Orwell wrote 1984.
All three novels were about dystopian societies of the future.
In Lady Justice and the Watchers, Walt sees the world we live in today through the eyes of a group who call themselves ‘The Watchers’.
Oscar Levant said that there’s a fine line between genius and insanity.
After reading Lady Justice and the Watchers, you may realize as Walt did that there’s also a fine line separating the life of freedom that we enjoy today and the totalitarian society envisioned in these classic novels.
Quietly and without fanfare, powerful interests have instituted policies that have eroded our privacy, health and individual freedoms.
Is the dystopian society still a thing of the distant future or is it with us now disguised as a wolf in sheep’s clothing?
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LADY JUSTICE AND THE CANDIDATE
BEST NEW MYSTERY NOVEL – FALL 2012
National Association of Book Entrepreneurs
Will American politics always be dominated by the two major political parties or are voters longing for an Independent candidate to challenge the establishment?
Everyone thought that the slate of candidates for the presidential election had been set until Benjamin Franklin Foster came on the scene capturing the hearts of American voters with his message of change and reform.
Powerful interests intent on preserving the status quo with their bought-and-paid-for politicians were determined to take Ben Foster out of the race.
The Secret Service comes up with a quirky plan to protect the Candidate and strike a blow for Lady Justice.
Join Walt on the campaign trail for an adventure full of surprises, mystery, intrigue and laughs!
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LADY JUSTICE
AND THE
CRUISE SHIP MURDERS
Best New Mystery Novel – Summer 2013
National Association of Book Entrepreneurs
Ox and Judy are off to Alaska on a honeymoon cruise and invite Walt and Maggie to tag along.
Their peaceful plans are soon shipwrecked by the murder of two fellow passengers.
The murders appear to be linked to a century-old legend involving a cache of gold stolen from a prospector and buried by two thieves.
Their seven-day cruise is spent hunting for the gold and eluding the modern day thieves intent on possessing it at any cost.
Another nail-biting mystery that will have you on the edge of your seat one minute and laughing out loud the next.
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LADY JUSTICE
AND THE
CLASS REUNION
For most people, a 50th class reunion is a time to party and renew old acquaintances, but Walt Williams isn't an ordinary guy --- he's a cop, and trouble seems to follow him everywhere he goes.
The Mexican drug cartel is recruiting young Latino girls as drug mules and the Kansas City Police have hit a brick wall until Walt is given a lead by an old classmate.
Even then, it takes three unlikely heroes from the Whispering Hills Retirement Village to help Walt and Ox end the cartel's reign of terror.
Join Walt in a class reunion filled with mystery, intrigue, jealousy and a belly-full of laughs!
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LADY JUSTICE AND THE ASSASSIN
Two radical groups have joined together for a common purpose --- to kill the President of the United States, and they're looking for the perfect person to do the job.
Not a cold-blooded killer or a vicious assassin, but a model citizen, far removed from the watchful eyes of Homeland Security.
When the president comes to Kansas City, the unlikely trio of Walt, Willie and Louie the Lip find themselves knee-deep in the planned assassination.
Join our heroes for another suspenseful mystery and lots of laughs!
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LADY JUSTICE AND THE LOTTERY
Two septuagenarians win the lottery's biggest prize, dragging Walt and Ox into the most bizarre cases of their career.
The two 'oldies' are determined to use their new found wealth to re-create the past but instead propel Walt into the future where he must use drones and Star Trek phasers to balance the scales of justice.
When an extortion plot turns into kidnapping, Walt must boldly go where no cop has gone before to save himself and the millionaire.
Come along for another hilarious ride with the world's oldest and most lovable cop!
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LADY JUSTICE AND THE VET
Ben Singleton, a Marine veteran, had returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan and was having difficulty adjusting to civilian life.
Fate, coincidence, or something else thrust him right into the heart of some of Walt and Ox’s most difficult cases.
Our heroes find themselves knee-deep in trouble as they go undercover in a nursing home to smoke out practitioners of Medicaid fraud, meanwhile, Islamic terrorists with ties to the Taliban are plotting to attack one of Kansas City’s most cherished institutions.
Join Walt and his band of senior sidekicks on another emotional roller coaster ride that will have you shedding tears of laughter one minute and sorrow the next.
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WOLVES IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING
In August of 2011, I completed the fifth novel in the Lady Justice mystery/comedy series, Lady Justice and the Sting.
As I always do, I sent copies of the completed manuscript to several friends and acquaintances for their feedback and comments before sending the manuscript to the publisher.
Since the plot involved a holistic physician, I sent a copy to Dr. Edward Pearson in Florida.
Dr. Pearson loved the premise of the book and the style of writing, particularly as it related to
alternative healthcare, natural products and Walt's transformation into a healthier lifestyle.
In subsequent conversations, Dr. Pearson shared that he had been looking for a book that he could share with his patients, colleagues and peers that would spread his message in a format that would capture their imagination and their hearts.
The Sting was very close to what he had been looking for and he made the suggestion that maybe we could work together to produce just the right book.
As I reflected on this idea, I realized that Walt's skirmishes with pharmaceutical companies, corrupt politicians, doctors, nurses, hospitals, bodily afflictions and a healthier lifestyle were not confined to just The Sting, but were scattered throughout all six of the Lady Justice mystery/comedy novels.
Using The Sting as the basis of the new book, I went through the manuscripts of the other five Lady Justice novels and pulled out chapters and vignettes that fleshed out the story of Walt's medical adventures.
Thus, Wolves In Sheep's Clothing was born.
Dr. Pearson is currently using Wolves in conjunction with his New Medicine Foundation to help spread the word about healthcare alternatives.