Point Blank

by Mike Ryan

  “What kind of car’s he driving?”

  “Beats me. What I know about cars you could stick in your hat.”

  Recker let out a smile, amused by the runaround. “Well I need to talk to him and I’d appreciate your help in locating him.”

  “What do you want him for?” she asked.

  “Just some routine questions. There’s an investigation we have going on involving some people we think he might have known before, maybe had dealings with,” Recker said.

  “You’re wasting your time. After what he’s been through, if you think he’s gonna help you guys with anything, you got another thing coming.”

  “Well, that may be, but I still need to locate and talk to him.”

  “Good luck with it.”

  “Did you know him before he was sent up this last time?” Recker asked.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “So, you remember the arresting officer?”

  Guerrero looked at him kind of funny, wondering why he would ask such a question. She hesitated before answering. “No. I don’t remember. Why?”

  “Well we received an anonymous tip that Officer Perez, the officer who arrested Adrian, may be the subject of some sort of retaliation because of the arrest.”

  “I wouldn’t know anything about that,” Guerrero said, shaking her head violently.

  “So where would Adrian be right now?”

  “I told you I don’t know.”

  “Are you aware, if something happens to Officer Perez, and it’s found out you knew something about this before it happens, you can be charged as an accessory to murder? Did you know that?”

  “Yes. I know,” she said defiantly.

  “Be a shame for your kids to grow up without a mother,” Recker said, hoping to scare her into some type of admission. “Kids visiting a parent in prison, especially a mother, is never a pretty sight. You might wanna think about it.”

  “I don’t have to think about anything. Are we done?” Guerrero asked, putting a hand on the edge of the door.

  “For now. I might be back though. This was more of a courtesy. Maybe next time I’ll have a search warrant.”

  “Great. Thanks.”

  Guerrero then slammed the door as Recker turned to leave. Though she stuck to her guns and didn’t reveal anything which would lead to Bernal directly, Recker felt like his trick worked. He thought she seemed rattled and flustered and there was no doubt in his mind, within minutes she would be calling her boyfriend to inform him the police were just there. Recker walked back to his car and just sat in it for a few minutes, just in case Bernal was actually inside the house. He called Jones to let him know his impersonation was over.

  “How did your acting go?” Jones asked.

  “Fabulous. Maybe after London I should’ve went to Hollywood.”

  “Let’s not get carried away.”

  “Anyway, keep tabs on Guerrero’s phone. If I’m right, she’ll be contacting Bernal any minute now,” Recker said.

  “Why? What did you do?”

  “Just tried to step up the pressure.”

  “Did she tell you anything?”

  “No, she clammed up like nobody’s business. But she seemed nervous and eager to get rid of me.”

  “Who wouldn’t be?” Jones joked.

  While Jones was doing his thing, Recker started the car and began driving, though he didn’t leave the area. He just drove down the street to get a different view of Guerrero’s house and make it appear like he was leaving the area. If Bernal was inside, which Recker didn’t believe he was, he suspected he might bolt out of the house relatively quickly. The more likely scenario was, Guerrero would call her boyfriend to alert him of Recker’s presence and questions. But just in case they had some other system in place, Recker stood by in case Guerrero left the house to tell Bernal in person now the police were on to him. Recker wound up waiting in his spot for another hour without any sign of movement from the house. Nobody was coming or going. He knew nothing was going to come from him sitting there any longer. If they were going to have face to face contact, they would’ve done it by now. The best Recker could hope for now was if Jones was able to track something on his end. Before leaving, Recker gave his partner another call before making the decision to flee the scene.

  “I’m about to wrap things up here, there’s nothing happening,” Recker said. “If Guerrero was going to meet him or warn him she would’ve done it by now. You come up with anything?”

  “I have, though I can’t say it’s the break we’ve been looking for either. Not just yet.”

  “Well what’d you get?”

  “You were right. You spooked Guerrero. Right after you left she called a phone number which I cannot establish a name to, but I can only assume it’s Bernal’s.”

  “Burner phone?”

  “Most likely. And it’s a different number than she’s called before so it’s likely he has several of them. Or he keeps switching phones. Both of which are entirely plausible,” Jones said.

  “Smart. Not like the usual dumbbell we come into contact with. Can you still get a trace on it?”

  “Well, as you know, most burner phones can still be traced in some way. Though I don’t know if I’ll be able to get an exact location, I should be able to trace it to the nearest cell tower.”

  “Lot of good that’ll do,” Recker said.

  “I know. Tracing burners takes a lot more work and it’s not as precise. By the time I can triangulate his general position and figure out where he may be, it’s likely he’ll be long gone.”

  “Well, do it anyway. At the very least it’s more than we’ve got now. Maybe if we can figure out where he’s been we can figure out where he’s going.”

  “Let’s just hope we can figure it out before he enacts his plot on Officer Perez.”

  “Maybe we should just phone in a tip about Bernal’s plans. At least Perez would be aware of it and can keep his head up.”

  “We can, but you know as well as I do the police get threats all the time,” Jones said. “It doesn’t mean they can or will do anything. Especially if there’s no evidence.”

  “They don’t need evidence. They just need to know the possibility is out there. What about his parole?”

  “What about it?”

  “He had to put an address down upon release,” Recker said.

  “It’s a dead end. I’ve already looked into it. He used his girlfriend’s address as his residence and he should’ve already checked in with a parole officer in the last couple of weeks.”

  “I guess it’s checked out?”

  “Well there hasn’t been an arrest warrant issued so I imagine everything turned up fine on those fronts. Another dead end I’m afraid. Unless he really is living at his girlfriend’s house.”

  “I really don’t think so. If he is he hasn’t come up for air in two days. Plus, I doubt she would’ve made a call after I visited. He would’ve known if he was stashed in a different room. Who would she have called?”

  “Maybe he is living there and was just out when you knocked,” Jones said.

  “No, no way. I’ve been sitting here day and night for two days. I would’ve noticed him coming or going at some point. Or another car at least.”

  “Unless he snuck out the back.”

  “The only reason to do that is if you think you’re being watched,” Recker said.

  “And maybe he knows you’re there.”

  “No. I’d stake my reputation on it.”

  Though Recker wanted to head back to the office, Jones convinced him to stay put for a little longer. There wasn’t much he could do at the office and Jones figured he was better served where he was, just in case Bernal made an appearance, even if it was unlikely. After a couple more hours of watching and waiting, without anything to show for it, Jones finally called him with a lead.

  “What’s up?” Recker asked, hopeful of good news.

  “I’ve tracked him down as far as I can.”

  “Great. W
here is he?”

  “Well, his call from Guerrero was bounced off a cell phone tower that is right next to the Cedar Motel,” Jones said. “I’m fairly confident that he’s likely to be in one of those rooms. Well, I should say confident that’s where he was. Whether he’s still there is an entirely different matter.”

  “I’m on my way there now,” Recker said, driving away from Guerrero’s house.

  “I’ll let you know if I pick up anything else.”

  “By the way, how many rooms does the motel have?”

  Recker listened while Jones clicked around his keyboard. “Looks like twenty.”

  “Shouldn’t make it too difficult for Detective Scarborough,” Recker said.

  The Cedar Motel wasn’t too far away from Guerrero’s house. Recker got there in under twenty minutes. Once he got there his first stop was the management’s office. When Recker walked in, he saw a balding, older man sitting behind the desk doing a crossword puzzle.

  “Help ya?” the man asked.

  Recker took out his badge and showed it to him. “Looking for a man. We believe he’s been staying here and wondering if you can confirm it.”

  “Oh. Got a picture?”

  “Sure do,” Recker said, taking out his phone to show Bernal’s photo.

  The man grunted as he looked it over. “Yeah. He’s been here.”

  “Have any problems with him or anything?”

  “Nope.”

  “He still here?”

  “As far as I know. He hasn’t officially checked out yet.”

  “What room’s he in?” Recker asked.

  “Fourteen.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Wait,” the man said, getting nervous about what was to happen.

  “Yeah?”

  “You’re not gonna break the door down or anything or get in a gunfight are you?”

  “I dunno. Why?”

  “Well I just don’t want the room to get messed up. Getting repairs done is a pain in the you know what.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Recker said, not the least bit concerned.

  “Wait, wait, wait...here’s a spare key to the room. At least don’t kick the door in, huh?”

  Recker couldn’t help but smile and let out a laugh. “Fine. The door will stay intact. Can’t guarantee about bullet holes in the wall though.”

  “Great. Of all the cops who could come through here, I gotta get Wyatt Earp,” the man whispered.

  “Stay here in case there’s shooting,” Recker said, exiting the office.

  There were only a few cars in the parking lot, and all the rooms weren’t currently rented, so Recker couldn’t be sure whether Bernal was there or not. Even if he was, Recker had no idea what kind of car he was driving. He quickly walked past each room, clinging to the brick wall lining the building, until he got to room fourteen. Recker tried looking through the window into the room, but the curtains weren’t pulled back and he couldn’t even get the tiniest view in there. He squatted and walked underneath the window to avoid his shadow from being seen crossing it from inside the room. If Bernal was in there, Recker knew it was likely he was going to be drawing gunfire the moment he opened the door.

  With the key still in his hand, he put it in the hole of the handle and unlocked the door. He tried to do is as slowly and quietly as possible, but he thought it was unlikely that someone on the inside wouldn’t have heard him coming. To give himself better odds of surviving an initial flurry of bullets, Recker squatted again, figuring his best chance at eluding gunfire was to dive into the room. He thought it best to dive in quickly before Bernal got impatient and started blasting at the door before it opened. He turned the handle of the door and violently pushed it open so it slammed against the wall. With his gun drawn, he dove into the room, quickly looking for a target. Everything was quiet. There were no guns firing, no bullets piercing through walls, no commotion of any kind.

  Recker got up and took a look around the room, even checking under the bed. These motel rooms were pretty small, and there weren’t many places someone could hide, even if they wanted to. There was a small kitchen area off the main space and the only other room was a bathroom. Recker took a look in there as well, but like the rest of the place, came up empty. At least the manager would be pleased his room didn’t get shot up. Recker then searched through the room, looking for the smallest of clues to help to tell him where Bernal was headed, or where else he might have been. Anything at all. A piece of paper with a name or address written on it, a crumpled up paper in the trash bin, something he might have forgotten or left behind in a drawer, anything. But it was no use. The room was spotless. Recker even looked in the refrigerator, but there wasn’t a single thing in there. It was a lost cause. There was nothing to be learned there. He called Jones to inform him of his findings.

  “Looks like Bernal’s already gone,” Recker said.

  “Well I can’t say I’m shocked. I was afraid this would be the result.”

  “I’ve looked through this room several times for some kind of lead but there’s nothing here.”

  “Mr. Bernal does appear to be good at hiding his tracks,” Jones said. “I have to say I’m a little surprised he’s been this difficult to find. Nothing in his background suggests he moves in the shadows or that he’s capable of being this deceptive.”

  “People can surprise you with what they can pull off when they have something major like murder at stake.”

  6

  Recker and Jones were in the office, trying everything within reason to try and find out where Bernal may have been hiding. Beyond what they were doing with the computer, which wasn’t turning up much, Recker knew he had to put everything at his disposal in play. It would mean calling in some favors.

  “I think it’s time to get Tyrell involved,” Recker said.

  “You think he can help?”

  “When has Tyrell not been able to help? He knows these streets far better than you and I do. He might know a friend of a friend of a friend or something.”

  “It surely wouldn’t hurt.”

  Recker immediately dialed Tyrell’s number, who picked up on the second ring. “You got anything going on right now?” Recker asked.

  “At this exact minute?”

  “Well, relatively soon.”

  “Depends. Whatcha need?”

  “Information. I’m looking for a guy.”

  “I might be able to help you,” Tyrell said.

  “Guy I’m looking for is named Adrian Bernal.

  “Adrian Bernal,” Tyrell said, racking his brain. “Bernal. Bernal.”

  Recker hoped by the silence it meant Tyrell could remember him. “Know him?”

  “Nah, I don’t think I know the cat.”

  “You think you can put the word out or find out about him?”

  “Depends on what you want. Depends if you’re looking to find him and have a talk or you’re looking to find him and take him out. You want one of those hush hush deals?”

  “Yeah. He can’t know I’m coming or else it’ll scare him off,” Recker said.

  “All right, I gotcha. What’s he wanted for? He dangerous?”

  “He’s looking to kill a cop, Tyrell. I’d say he’s pretty dangerous.”

  “Oh, man, that’s bad news. All right, I’ll put my minions on it and let you know if I find out anything. How soon’s all this going down?”

  “To be honest I have no idea. The quicker you can get something, the better off we’ll be.”

  “You know it. I’ll get back to you.”

  Recker hung up, putting the phone back in his pants pocket. “Hopefully it pays off,” Jones said.

  “You think he can pull this off by himself?” Recker said.

  “Who? Tyrell?”

  “No. Bernal. I mean, taking out a cop requires precision planning, not to mention acquiring weapons.”

  “Why not? You could.”

  “Comparing a street thug to me isn’t exactly a fair comparison.”

 
; “True. You also may be putting too much thought into it. Your level of planning into something like this might not be equal to his. If you do a hit, you’re looking at exit strategies, plans, the environment, onlookers, etc. He may not be interested in any of that. He may only be looking at killing Perez without worrying about how he’s getting away, if he is at all,” Jones said. “Plus, I’m sure he’s well aware of who he can go to for a weapon.”

  It didn’t take long for Tyrell to find something that would be useful. About three hours after getting the nod from Recker, he called back with his findings.

  “Hey, you’re in luck,” Tyrell said.

  “What’d you find out?” Recker asked.

  “Looks like your man’s got himself a few guns.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Who’s the major gun supplier in this city?”

  “Jeremiah.”

  “Exactly. I got word to Jeremiah to see if he knew who this cat was and they said they did business with the dude.”

  “Did you find out what the exact transaction was?” Recker asked.

  “Nah, they wasn’t talking too much about specifics. From what I could tell it was more than one though.”

  “Find out anything else?”

  “No, not yet. But Jeremiah might have more info for you if you’re of a mind.”

  “Why?”

  “Well they wanted to know why I was asking about Bernal,” Tyrell said. “So, I told them I was asking on your behalf.”

  “That was kind of you.”

  “Hey, you know, when you start asking someone like Jeremiah about his business, you better be prepared to have some answers for him as to why you’re asking,” Tyrell said with a laugh. “And the only thing I had was you wanted to know.”

  “Don’t worry about it, it’s fine.”

  “Well anyway, Jeremiah’s willing to talk to you about it.”

  “He’s got something else on his mind I take it,” Recker said.

  “Yeah, sounded like it.”

  “Know what it is?”

  “No, but, I dunno, he seems different lately,” Tyrell said.

  “Different how?”

  “I don’t know how to explain it. He just seems jumpier. Like he’s restless or something.”