by W L Knightly
“Come on, Jo. I think he’s done saying anything useful.” Jake got up and waited for Jo to go before him as he hollered for the guard.
As they walked away, The Noose yelled, “Isn’t that the way it works? I give you corrupt cops something, and I go free?”
Chapter 9
Judge Ray Mathews
Ray stepped out of the shower to the sound of an empty, growling stomach. He had worked up quite an appetite with Kami the night before, and of course, when he got home, there was nothing cooked and no food in the house worth eating.
Marlo was a terrible wife and a half-ass mother. He didn’t see why she couldn’t just get with the program. Sure, she managed to feed their child, but she had never, not once in the eight-and-a-half years they’d been together, learned to cook a hot meal for him or do anything but nag when he had gotten off work.
He’d only married her because she was pregnant with their child, and he was on the rebound from his first broken heart. After his first wife, LeAnn, had left him, he had thought he’d never marry again, and now all he could think was that he’d wished he’d been right.
Marlo was never a good catch. He’d picked her up at a bar, and while she’d been very fit in the days of dancing on bars, she had not kept herself up, nor did she even act like she cared anything about getting back in shape.
Kami on the other hand? She was a goddess, and he often wished he could shove Kami in Marlo’s face and show her what a real woman was supposed to look like. Since he was alone—Marlo and Dax already left to drop him off at school—Ray took out his burner phone and dialed her number.
The phone rang six times before Kami breathlessly answered. “Hello?” She sounded exerted, and Ray couldn’t help but be a little suspicious.
“It’s me, baby girl. How are you this morning?”
“Baby,” she squealed with delight. “I thought you’d be at work by now. Don’t tell me I wore you out again?” She gave a soft, mischievous giggle, and Ray turned instantly hard.
“I thought you might be a bit worn out too. What are you doing today?” He liked to know her plans and tried to keep an eye on her when he could. A woman like her was able to get any man she wanted, and he had to make sure that she stayed where her bread was buttered.
“I have to work.” He wished she didn’t have to have a job and he could keep her.
“I’ve told you a million times; I’ll pay your salary so you can pursue your dreams.”
“I’m not sure photography is what I really want. I’m not sure about a lot of things.” She seemed a little upset, and he had a feeling she would start on him about his marriage again.
“Soon, we won’t have to worry about any of it. We’ll be too busy traveling the world, and I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
“Sounds like an adventure. But I better keep my job for now.” She had always doubted how serious he was about helping her. He could see a bright future for her and her photography if she chose to pursue it. She had a lot more drive and passion than Marlo.
“I’ll talk to you later,” she said in her sexiest voice. Just the sound of it made him want to be balls-deep inside of her.
“Soon.” He hung up the phone with his usual promise then thought about getting something to eat again.
Knowing he had to get to court by nine, he figured he’d just grab something on the way.
He finished getting ready and headed to the kitchen to see if she’d gone to the store or left anything, but the fridge still had the same bowl of leftover macaroni and cheese that it had days before; the one with princess shaped noodles that Dax had refused to eat. On the counter, he found a note that he’d have to get someone to come and fix the garbage disposal again. His stupid wife still hadn’t figured out that there were some things you just couldn’t put down the thing. “Fucking cow.”
He grabbed his keys, and instead of hitting the gym, which he was already running too late to enjoy, he headed straight to the courthouse.
It wasn’t until after he’d gotten out of his car that he remembered he hadn’t stopped anywhere for a bite to eat. He let out a long breath and went inside. The Courthouse Café would have to do, and hopefully, they were still serving the breakfast sandwiches he liked. He hadn’t eaten there in years and only stopped because it had grown too busy.
When he got inside, he walked up to the counter to place his order, noticing the stares he was getting. It wasn’t like everyone was so eager to walk up and ask him how he could let Forester go free, but he knew what they were all thinking. He held his head up a little higher, hoping to show them that he did not care.
He had to be more careful how he played the game, though, and knew that he was going to have to make his final moves soon. He should really quit while he was ahead, but there was something about the thrill of it. He just couldn’t get enough of the power it gave him.
He looked around the commons area but couldn’t see himself sitting with the courthouse staff and other scrubs who liked to sit out there. “Give me mine to go,” he said. He would take his meal in his chambers.
As he took his white paper sack, which hopefully contained his correct order, he walked to the elevator.
He was about to step inside when the defense attorney, Wes Lemoine, joined him. As the doors shut, the man turned to him. “Just the man I wanted to see. And I’m glad we’re alone. I wondered if the price is still the same for my client. He’s getting nervous.”
“And rightly so,” said Ray. “He’s looking at hard time.”
“Well, he thinks, and I have to say that I agree, that it should be less because he’s really innocent.”
Ray had heard it all before. He gave a sly smile, only to tease the attorney. “You tell him that I said no, the offer isn’t the same.” He waited for a glimmer of hope to light in the other man’s eyes to continue. “You tell him it’s doubled.” The elevator doors opened, and he walked out. How dare the man insult him with bargains?
He was tired of dealing with spoiled attorneys who thought they could get whatever they wanted with him. It put him in mind of Elliot Gaines. The asshole had tried to get his way too. They’d always gotten greedy, and he had to put them in their place. Elliot was braver than most. Or dumber, since he’s dead. Not only had Elliot tried getting favors for free, but he’d somehow found the balls to threaten to expose Ray for taking bribes if he didn’t exclude a certain piece of evidence that would exonerate the defendant in his current case. That hadn’t gone over well for Elliot, and thankfully, he wasn’t a problem anymore.
He knew Attorney Lemoine was probably scrambling to see if he could get that much from the client, and with the amount now doubled, he didn’t expect to hear from him again. He ate his breakfast while he waited for the hearing to begin and was ready when his name was called.
He took his place on the bench and looked over to Lemoine, who was about three shades of green, and the look on his face was all Ray needed to see to know what he had to do.
Ray didn’t even bother going to his chambers to think about anything. Instead, he sat there a moment, as if looking over papers, and then cleared his throat. “I’ve deliberated on this many sleepless hours, and while I’d like to show leniency for another human being, in this case, I can’t. The crime that was committed was brutal. So, without any ado, I hereby sentence Owen Daniels to forty years with a minimum of fifteen years.” He watched Lemoine shake his head. “Court adjourned.” He banged his gavel and hurried out of the door, laughing at their idiot faces once he was alone.
The courtroom wasn’t as outraged as before with only a few grumbles, and that was either because there was no longer surprises in his courtroom or because most others wanted the asshole convicted too.
He retired back to his chambers and changed out of his robe. This time, he walked right out of the courthouse and to his car without the press bothering him. The day, which had started off bad, had turned out to be fine after all.
But after he’d gotten into his car and sh
ut the door, he heard a tapping at his window.
He looked over to see Lemoine there and rolled down his window. “What do you want?”
“Just to tell you that you’re an asshole. You’re not going to get away with what you’ve been doing for long, and when the day comes that you get yours, I hope I’m there to watch.”
“Is that all?” Ray wasn’t going to let him know it bothered him. “Have you gotten it all off of your chest now? Because need I remind you that I’m not the only one involved in shameful conduct? So don’t start up with your threats after not getting your way this once. You’ve turned a deal or two with me, and you should have known not to push me. What were you thinking?”
Lemoine gave him a hard look. “That you’d do the right thing? That you really wanted to help us out.”
“You have to help me help you. That’s all you had to do. I made a fair deal, and you couldn’t wait to try and spin it in your favor. You got greedy.” He looked up at the man, whose face was so red with anger, he thought he was going to bust a vein in his neck. “Tell me, were you hoping to pocket that extra money for yourself?” Lemoine might have been hoping to take the half he was supposed to save his client. Ray was no fool.
Lemoine’s mouth popped open as if he couldn’t believe it. “That’s insulting. My client was innocent. And now he’s going to rot in prison. You really are a piece of work for letting that happen.”
“And there you are, blaming me when you should have done a better job defending him in the first place. Get out of my sight.”
“You are such an asshole,” Lemoine said, his jaw so tight Ray thought it might crack. “You don’t own the world, and you can’t buy everything. You’ll learn that when your day comes, and it will.”
“I do own the world. At least, your part of it. And I don’t like threats. You’d do well to remember that I am the threat.” With that, he rolled up his window and started his car. He quickly backed out of his spot and headed home, hoping his wife had, at the very least, gone to the store.
Chapter 10
Jake
Jake had spent the entire morning at the dentist getting his filling repaired, so when he returned to the station, he figured he’d have a little time alone to dig into the case a bit while Jo was off somewhere doing the same.
But when he opened his door, he found her sitting over a half-eaten turkey sandwich from Speed’s, the tell-tale red and white checked wrapper giving it away. She stared at the page in front of her as if she hadn’t heard him come in.
“You’re really taking that whole ‘make yourself at home’ offer seriously,” he said, giving her a start.
She jumped in her seat a little, and he realized that she had one earbud in, listening to something on her phone. “Sorry, I was listening to some of my notes.”
“I didn’t know people still did that.” He had done it in school, but not since. He had a mind like a steel trap, and anything he wanted to remember, he just needed to write down. Then he could remember the image and recall it later.
“You don’t? Seriously? With all the apps out there? How do you function?”
He walked around and took her chair, gesturing for her to stay seated as she tried to move. “I function just fine. I have a good memory, and it helps to write things down if I want to remember them later.”
“And you think I’m working with primitive methods.” She let out a sigh and bit into her sandwich. “How was the dentist?”
“A pain as usual. I had to get a shot. I hate shots.” Jake was just glad to be done with the visit. “So, have you figured anything out? What are you telling yourself in that ear of yours?”
She turned off her phone and eased back in her chair. “I just can’t stop thinking of what The Noose said. You know, about the corruption? Do you think that was a true story?”
Jake shrugged. “I’m not sure. It seemed like an opportunity for him to get a good dig on law enforcement. I’m not saying that kind of stuff doesn’t happen, but with him? He was a wanted man. I can’t see Elliot being that bold to try and make deals with him. Why would he want to lose a slam-dunk case?”
“Well, if The Noose is known for his shady business, which I’ve read includes drugs, then maybe Elliot thought he could get a piece of the action. Who better to have a lot of money than a drug dealer?”
“True, but you just don’t understand what things were like at the time. The Noose had been suspected of killing three men. They were all strung up after they were brutally beaten, but somehow, no one could pin it on the asshole. Fast forward to a night a couple of summers ago, and he and two others were busted for killing a security guard.
“He wasn’t the gunman, but since so many drugs were found on the scene, they said it must have been done per his orders. Once we pinned that charge on him, not a single person wanted to budge on his case. Only an idiot would even try to let him off. It would make the Forester case look like justice was served.”
“So, our visit was all for nothing then?” she asked with a frown.
“It would seem so.” He saw she was disappointed, but apparently, that didn’t slow her down.
She started to dig into her files. “The judge he mentioned, Mathews? He’s the one who let Forester go?”
“Yeah, he gets a lot of the higher profile cases.” He eased back in his seat, wondering if he was talking funny with the numbness in his lip. As he rubbed his jaw, he spotted the other half of her sandwich. “I notice you went to Speed’s. How come you didn’t use the opportunity to go somewhere else?”
“I don’t know. I wanted something good, and you’ve already got me hooked.” She gave him a warm smile. “They missed you. Ruth Anne asked about you.”
He nodded. “I’m never away long enough to miss, but she’s a good woman and a damned good waitress. I hope you left her a big tip.”
“I did. I might have also paid a little bit on your tab.” She gave him a sly smile.
He panicked, wondering how much she had paid. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Relax, I only dropped a twenty to make up for what I owed.” She rolled her eyes like it was no big deal, but Jake felt bad she thought she had to.
A sturdy knock rattled the door, and then the chief stuck his head in. “Sorry to break up your little pow-wow, but Sam just called. He was sent out about ten minutes ago to check out a tip. When he got there, he called me directly instead of notifying dispatch. He thought you might want to go and take a look at it. It’s another Hangman victim.”
Jo’s eyes widened as Jake exchanged a look with her. He couldn’t believe it had happened again, especially so soon. “Dammit, he’s not wasting any time, is he?”
O’Connor tugged his tie loose. “Nor should you.” He took a few steps back and then waved Jake out into the hall. “Let’s have a word, Detective Thomas.”
“What is it?” Jake followed him out and pulled the door to, but not before seeing Jo looked confused.
O’Connor quickly glanced at the door. “I was just going over some of the details from the first murder when Sam was called out. It was pretty gruesome, but Sam said this one was worse. Blood everywhere. Maybe you were right before. Maybe it’s not the right case for Jo to be on. I feel like I’m tossing her in the deep end, and I don’t want her to drown.”
Jake shook his head. “She’s going to be fine. She knows a lot more than I gave her credit for, and I think she’s going to surprise us all.”
O’Connor took a deep breath and let it out. “If you think so. It’s just so gory. She doesn’t seem cut out for it.”
“Because she’s beautiful? A woman? I know. I can think of a hundred reasons, but the only one that matters is that she’s here, hired on to replace me. She had better get used to it.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay on? You two are hitting it off. Maybe what you needed all along was a good partner? Someone to take some of the pressure and responsibility off of you.” He cocked his eyebrow and gave Jake an encouraging look
.
Jake smiled but shook his head. “Another good try, but no. You may as well give it up. I’m out of here. And this is just the case to see how she’s going to do. If she can make it through this case with me, she can make it through any other alone.” He really believed in her a lot more than he’d ever thought he would, but while he had grown to be friendly with her, it wasn’t enough to stay on with the department. Come another week and a half, she would be on her own.
Jo stuck her head out the door. “Do I have to stay in here forever?” She shrugged, and Jake stepped back into the room.
Chief O’Connor stood in the doorway. “Get down there, check it out, then call in the team. We want things to be completely by the book.”
Jo wrapped up what was left of her sandwich. “I’m ready.” She put her phone in her pocket as Jake walked around the desk to get his keys.
“We’ll let you know when we get there,” he said.
O’Connor wouldn’t even look Jo in the eyes. “You were right. It does look like this is a serial killer. Be careful.” He turned and left, leaving them to lock up the office on their way out.
Jo clutched her sandwich like it was a pocketbook as they hurried out to the parking lot. “Hope you don’t mind me eating in your car,” she said as she opened the door and slid into the leather seat.
“I guess I’ll allow it, but only if you give me half. I didn’t eat anything for lunch, and their homemade buns are the best.”
“It’s a deal.” She broke him off a piece, and then he started the car, put it in gear, and savored every bite as he hauled ass across town.
They approached the old warehouse on Kennedy Street that hadn’t seen business in at least a decade. It had last been used for a youth center, and it still had the murals on the walls to prove it.
Jo stared up at the building. “This place is big. How do you even know where to go?” About that time, Sam came out, waving them into the back lot. “Is he still the only one here?”
