A Dead Nephew

by Anna Celeste Burke

  “Could there be a leak at the Sheriff’s Department or elsewhere?” Peter asked. “They can’t be tailing all of you, or one of you would have spotted it. My guy who’s stationed here at Jessica’s house checks for eavesdropping devices, so they couldn’t have picked up the information that way. All our phones are protected too.”

  “Tommy and I have a possibility to consider. I already told Jessica that Sacramento’s friends who we spoke to today were devoted to him and liked Louie too,” Jerry said. “The fight between Louie and Sacramento the night he died was about a woman who told Sacramento one of his friends had tried to make a few bucks by informing John Lugo that she was romantically involved with his son. When Sacramento asked Louie if he’d done it, Louie took a swing, and the fight was on. One of Sacramento’s friends suggested we should check out a guy who only occasionally hangs out with them.”

  “Louie’s friend named Kevin Hawkes,” Tommy said, interrupting Jerry.

  “Yeah, that’s it. Kevin Hawkes says there’s a guy they call ‘the troll’ who has a serious drinking problem and desperately wants to be a member of security or join the tribal police,” Jerry informed us. “He’s always hanging around the casino, bumming drinks or cigarettes, and trying to pick up money by washing car windshields for the casino’s patrons. Sacramento’s friends avoid him when they can, but it’s hard to do at the casino.”

  “Yeah, and Kevin figured this guy was the ‘loser’ who went to John Lugo claiming to be Sacramento’s friend. Kevin said the troll was always sucking up to Sacramento. When he’s not drinking, he watches everything that goes on around there,” Tommy added. “He could have seen Sacramento and the woman leaving the casino together. Kevin says he wouldn’t be surprised if the guy went to John Lugo hoping to make a few bucks or score a few points toward his dream of becoming a member of the tribal police.”

  “Why would John Lugo care if Sacramento and the woman were going out?” Bernadette asked.

  “During the fight, Sacramento let it slip that his dad might fire her.”

  “Whoa!” Brien exclaimed. “Was it the secretary John Lugo dumped trying to get back at him by dating his son?”

  “Kevin pretty sure it was Valerie Taylor,” Tommy added.

  “It makes sense to me if she was trying to bet back at John Lugo, not by dating Sacramento, but by feeding him inside information about the proposed development,” Betsy suggested. “Either way, if word got out that she and Sacramento were seeing each other, she’d lose her job for sure.”

  “Or her life,” I added.

  “You need to contact Valerie Taylor soon,” Manny urged with a worried tone in his voice. “She hasn’t been fired, but after what you said to him today, Jessica, John Lugo’s going to be looking suspiciously at everyone around him. That includes Valerie.”

  “I’ll download a photo of Valerie Taylor tonight and show it to Louie when I drop by to see him in the morning. Maybe he’ll recognize her, and we can put one mystery to rest,” I said. “I’ll also call her at work in the morning and see if she’ll agree to meet with me for coffee or a drink somewhere far away from the casino.”

  “It’s a good idea to find her and get her to agree to go someplace safe. How does this troll guy have any bearing on the question about who slipped information to John Lugo about where George had stashed Xavier Oliver?” Frank asked.

  “I haven’t explained that yet,” Jerry responded.

  20 The Messenger

  “Once Kevin Hawkes gave us the troll’s real name—Doug Baylor—we asked around about him. One of the cocktail waitresses, Rita, knew who he was right away. Before we asked, she told us he’s obsessed with the idea of becoming a cop. He shows up to hang out with a group of cops and ex-cops who frequent the casino on the weekends.”

  “The server said he’s like a stalker, but the cops don’t seem to mind,” Tommy added.

  “She recently overheard him asking them questions about the Cleaner Man and why people wondered if he killed Mr. Lugo’s son when the killer was already going to prison.”

  “At that point, Rita got jumpy about talking to us,” Tommy said, adding to what Jerry had just told us. “She heard the cops griping about some busybody lawyer trying to get the bum who killed Sacramento out of prison. She whispered when she told us one of the ex-cops said Sacramento got what he deserved for hanging out with bums like Louie Jacobs.”

  “Maybe one of the cops heard something about George picking up Xavier Oliver for questioning, and Doug Baylor relayed the information to a member of the tribal police or directly to John Lugo,” Jerry added. “Kevin also claims Doug Baylor frequented homeless shelters, so it’s possible he knew who Xavier Oliver was and what he looked like. John Lugo and Lenny Morgan have been so proactive heading off our attempts to help Louie Jacobs, maybe that’s how they knew to search for Xavier Oliver. Doug Baylor has ties to the police, the casino, and the homeless shelters. We can interview him, or if you bring him in for questioning, he might tell you which one of the cops is the big talker about Sacramento’s murder case.”

  “I’ll definitely have a chat with Doug Baylor since he seems like the big talker to me,” George said. “There must be plenty of ‘tittle-tattle’ like that about this case, so who knows what he heard or where? If he can help identify a cop with loose lips about the busy body lawyer trying to help the bum who killed Sacramento, maybe we can plug up the leaks.”

  “After my recent experience with dirty cops, some of whom were people I’d trusted, I wouldn’t be too surprised if there’s an even more direct link between the police and Lugo or his partner, Morgan. I’m not sure what you can do about it,” Frank said and shrugged. “Lots of cops count on extra money from moonlighting by doing security work at special events like those held at the casino. It pays well, and the gigs are easier than their regular police work. It’s easy for loyalties to become confused or divided as good cops begin to feel beholden to their off-duty employers. Why not share information with them about a case that affects them?” I watched Frank’s face as he spoke and saw the muscle in his jaw flex. He was wrestling with his demons and still working through the disappointment he felt about his fellow officers.

  “Sad to say, but that could be true,” George agreed. He was gazing closely at Frank too. “This time, I personally chose the officer who drove to San Bernardino with me because I trust him. Thanks to Peter, we delivered Xavier Oliver to his new hiding place, and my driver stayed behind, along with one of Peter’s men, at a more secure location.”

  “I’m happy to help,” Peter responded. “People I care about, as well as innocent bystanders like Louie, are at risk until we figure this out.” Whether consciously or not, Peter edged closer to Betsy as he said that. “I can give you a quick update about what we’ve learned about the gas. It not only contains an unusual blend of quick-acting sedatives but a unique designer drug that acts as a hallucinogen as well. Maybe that was added to make his victims susceptible to suggestion under its influence. With repeated exposures to the drug and the Cleaner Man’s manipulations, it could explain how the people he targets come to see him the way they do and why they forget things.”

  “So, how do we protect ourselves if we really do have an encounter with the Cleaner Man?” I asked.

  “One way is to avoid the possibility of direct contact,” Peter replied. “The Cleaner Man doesn’t seem to seek out people. He has a large area in which he operates freely, but so far, he hasn’t seemed to deviate from his pattern or stepped out of his comfort zone. I doubt he’ll show up on anyone’s doorstep at home or at work. If you wander into his territory as you did by visiting Louie Jacobs’ campsite in the Indio Hills, you should take protection along.”

  “He’ll see us coming a mile away in those suits we had on,” Tommy whined. “There’s no way you could run away from him if he was coming after you with one of these loaded needles of his.”

  “Uh, Tommy, that’s not what Peter’s talking about. He has those suits for other reasons,” Brie
n commented. “Right?”

  “Yes. Full body cover isn’t necessary since the gas becomes harmless quickly and doesn’t penetrate or damage your skin. To be effective, you’ve got to inhale it fast and at close range.”

  “That would explain why the Cleaner Man spends so much time getting up close and personal with his targets before he decides what to do with them,” I observed.

  “It’s a perfect setup for murder—gaining the trust of lonely, isolated people and meeting with them in deserted settings,” Peter said as he pulled a small box from a pocket and opened it. “After dinner, I’ll demonstrate how to use one of these.”

  “It looks like you mated a CPAP or respirator mask with a pair of swimming goggles made out of plastic wrap,” Laura said.

  “That’s not a bad comparison,” Peter responded. “It’s designed to be as wearable as those everyday devices, although it’s much more sophisticated. The material is lightweight like cellophane, but it’s a thicker, more durable membrane that molds to your face like a second skin. The filters that remove the noxious substances you’re exposed to are in the membrane itself. There are tiny nanotech devices embedded in the membrane that can gather and transmit information and adjust, depending on what it detects that you’re inhaling. That all means that it costs more than other gas masks—lots more. Jessica’s going to get a bill to insure them, but please don’t swim in them or drop them off a cliff because they’re prototypes. Don’t let them out of your sight, either. The reason I was able to get them is that the developers are curious about how they’ll perform in the heat around here.” He turned to Betsy.

  “I want you and Brien to put them on when you get out of the car to go looking for the homeless man tomorrow, okay?” Betsy nodded.

  “Cool!” Brien exclaimed. “No fooling around either, we promise!”

  “Will those things deliver an antidote if they get stuck with a needle?” Tommy asked.

  “Nope. There’s a nasty mix of toxic chemicals in the needle. If he sticks you with a needle, get to the nearest hospital as fast as possible.”

  “How do we do that if he’s still hanging around?” Brien asked.

  “Come on, Brien. If the Cleaner Man’s gas doesn’t knock you out, you’ve got all your regular he-man moves you can use—before he even uses that needle,” Kim responded.

  “Kim’s right. This amazing little gas mask also has another trick you can pull. There’s a sort of exhaust valve you can press that will send puffs of the gas back out into the area around you. If the Cleaner Man is close enough to stick you, use it.”

  “That is amazing. I want one,” Laura said. “Should I tell my story about Christian Cursor now?”

  “Sure, unless anyone has a short news note for us,” I replied.

  “Maybe I should go first because the information I want to share qualifies as a news note, although it is an interesting one.”

  “Go for it, Frank,” Laura said.

  “Denise and Julio gave me all their notes and information they’d gathered before Louie Jacobs confessed, and they were advised not to spend more time on the murder case. I found cellphone records they pulled for all the principal players involved that night. Louie, Sacramento, and the ‘evil twins.’”

  “Why did they want to check Ridgeway and Castro’s phone records?” George asked.

  “Denise said that by the time they arrived at the scene, the story about who was where and when had changed several times. They asked for the officers’ cellphone numbers to help create a timeline for that night. They found a few discrepancies right away and would have followed up if they hadn’t been pulled off the case. She offered to put together a report summarizing the issues she would have tried to clear up if the investigation hadn’t been shut down. One thing that’s clear is that Ridgeway got to the crime scene before his partner arrived, and almost two hours before John Lugo called us at the Sheriff’s Department. The other thing that jumped out at me was a number on Ridgeway’s phone that I recognized right away. The first call he placed was to the lawyer’s office. I figure that wasn’t long after he arrived at the campsite. A few minutes later, he received a call, and when I redialed the number, I got Lenny Morgan’s personal voicemail. Ridgeway called John Lugo a few minutes later—after Morgan and the lawyer were already in the loop.”

  “How do you like that,” I harrumphed. “It’s time to meet Mr. Morgan, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, but it’s my turn to face off with a member of ‘la crème de la crud.’” Frank said. “You have those women to track down. As Tommy already said, they’re more likely to dish the dirt with you about their husbands or boyfriends than one of the men in the room.”

  “I hate to miss anything, but I don’t relish the idea of meeting with Lenny Morgan. Not alone, anyway.”

  “I’ll fill you in, so none of you will miss a minute of what goes on. I’ll have Denise set up the interview since she knows more than I do about what went on with the investigation. I want to be there to catch his reaction when I tell him a new motive has come to light for Sacramento’s murder. I’m going to ask him, point-blank: was Sacramento killed because he complained about a fraudulent environmental impact report that had been filed for the new planned development in the Mojave Desert?”

  “Then you’d better duck,” Bernadette muttered.

  “Frank won’t need to do that until he’s outside,” Auntie Agnes added. “Lenny won’t want a fight to break out in his fancy office. Even John didn’t argue with Tessa when she called it flashy and tasteless.”

  “I’d listen to Auntie Agnes,” Peter suggested. “Do you want back up?”

  “No, but I will insist that Julio joins us and stays outside to play watchdog.”

  “I wish we’d just taken the report we found in Sacramento’s room. A few details about what you mean by fraudulent could be helpful if he plays dumb,” Kim said.

  “That’s true if all we cared about was figuring out what kind of swindle is going on,” Frank responded. “We need to be able to tie this in with Sacramento’s murder if it appears relevant. I’m glad you left it where you found it for the police to collect using the proper protocol.”

  “Except that Tessa’s housekeeper, Imelda, knows we were there and in Sacramento’s room. I can just hear Andrew Clearwater claiming we planted it to help Louie,” I said. “I wish we’d brought it with us.”

  “I’m sure that was a copy,” Manny said. “Valerie Taylor wouldn’t have removed the original from the office files. She’ll get it to you.”

  “I hope you’re right, Manny. One way or another, news about a scandal’s going to get out. When Valerie Taylor gave the report to Sacramento, she must have understood the risk she was taking even if Sacramento didn’t identify her as his source. There can’t be too many people who know the report exists and understand its value. After what happened to Sacramento, I can’t believe she hasn’t already asked for protection. I’ll do my best to persuade her to accept protection.” I wasn’t sure who could offer her police protection. I wasn’t the only one worrying about it.

  “Who can do that?” Manny asked.

  “Peter, if Valerie’s willing to do it, can you pick her up and bring her here, or take her someplace else that’s safe?”

  “Sure,” he replied. “Just say when and where to find her. I’ll bring her in.”

  “Is there room for her in the safe house with Xavier Oliver?” George asked.

  “Yes, although we could also safely hold her here at the house for a few days if it’s necessary that she remain in the Coachella Valley.”

  “Whatever you believe is best,” George responded. “If she’s willing to spill the beans, someone from law enforcement needs to be in on the conversation to get her testimony on record. At this point, if we want to avoid leaks, it ought to be Frank or me. Then we need to decide what other legal authorities to bring in.”

  “That’ll be easier once we’ve determined what laws have been broken,” I added. “Until we see the complete r
eport and hear from Valerie Taylor, we haven’t even established that Lenny Morgan and John Lugo are perpetrating a fraud.”

  “Maybe that’s what Sacramento intended to do in his letter. He could have given it to Valerie Taylor,” Kim suggested.

  “I wish. Convincing Valerie Taylor to become our houseguest or seek sanctuary elsewhere is priority number one. I’ll see if I can figure out how to reach her tonight.”

  “Wherever she ends up, I’ll be happy to take her statement,” Frank offered. “I’m on the road so much, I don’t mind taking a detour to the safe house if that’s where she decides to hide out. This farce has gone on long enough!”

  Frank smacked the table, rattling dishes and silverware. Anastasia ran to check on him. He rubbed her velvety ears as he spoke.

  “Sorry, I got a little carried away, didn’t I?” Frank said and smiled at us all.

  “We all want to get this done. Do you want to tell everyone about Christian Cursor, the man your nursing colleague discovered?”

  “I sure do,” Laura said and then plunged into the tale of Christian Cursor. The connection between Christian Cursor and the Cleaner Man was even more compelling hearing his story a second time. I kept my eye on Betsy, who had that vague expression on her face as she listened to Laura. Even with people asking Laura a few clarifying questions, it turned out to be not such a long story after all.

  “That’s a sad story. It’s terrible if he was released and is killing people again,” Bernadette said.

  “Sad and hard to believe,” Laura responded.

  “Most of what you’ve said is close to what an officer dug up for me in the police records when I got the text about Christian Cursor from Jessica,” George interjected. “Christian Cursor is his legal name. As you all suspected, he was determined unfit to stand trial and sent to Patton State Hospital. He was subsequently released and allowed to return to the community on supervised probation for three years without standing trial for theft. His probation ended several years ago. I don’t have the details about how his release came about or how he dodged prison time. There may have been other conditions related to his probation, like wearing an ankle bracelet and limiting how far he could go from his place of residence.”