lethal injection
BY
JOHN C. DALGLISH
2014
Prologue
Winter was on the way, and Larry ‘Bones’ Dabney could feel the chill. It didn’t worry him, though—San Antonio winters were easy compared to Detroit’s. His time in the Motor City was the coldest of his life. It was also where he’d gotten his nickname.
Larry was sitting next to a homeless vet at a shelter, when the guy pulled out a set of bones and began to play. Larry had never seen anything like them. They were polished rib bones from a cow, and he held them between his fingers in one hand and knocked them together to make this haunting but charming sound. Larry took to them immediately.
The old vet had gone into the kitchen, brought back two soup spoons, and showed Larry how to hold them. Rotating his wrist back and forth, tapping them against his leg, he could make different notes. Larry played the spoons while the old vet played the bones. He felt pure joy as he and his companion created their own brand of music. About a month later, the old vet passed away, and in the small leather bag containing the bones was a note. It instructed Larry Dabney be given the ivory set.
Larry practiced every day and eventually became notorious for his long hours of playing. Before long, the volunteers at the homeless shelter started calling him ‘Bones,’ and the name stuck.
Pulling his worn bomber jacket around him, Bones turned down an alley off Quincy Street, finding shelter from the wind. The low temperatures of early November in South Texas usually hung in the fifties, but tonight felt colder than that. He pulled his stocking cap lower and moved deeper into the alley.
A line of garbage cans ran down one side of the alley, and once he passed them, he slid down the wall. He was out of the wind and out of sight, which suited him just fine.
“Bones, you down there?”
Peering around the garbage cans, Bones recognized the voice at the entrance to the alley.
“Yeah.”
The man walked toward Bones, ignoring the scowl the homeless man did his best not to conceal, and stopped in front of him.
“You okay, Bones? You need anything?”
“I’m fine. I just want to be left alone.”
The voice looked down at Larry. “Do you remember me?”
Bones didn’t look up. “Sure, I remember you.”
“I brought you something.”
Bones kept his eyes trained on his knees, which he’d pulled up in front of him. “Told ya, I don’t need nothin.’”
Bones felt a stabbing pain in his thigh, and before he could react, the man was walking away.
“Hey, what was that? What did you do to me?”
The man called back over his shoulder. “I told you, I brought you something.”
Bones jumped up and tried to run after his attacker, but a few steps were all he could manage before he collapsed in a heap against the garbage cans.
*******
Tony Maddox liked his job. It paid well, had great benefits, and he was home every evening. He especially liked having every weekend off. Oh sure, he’d heard all the jokes about being a ‘Sanitation Engineer,’ and his wife made him shower in the basement as soon as he got home, but it beat the heck out of working in an office.
This morning was colder than usual, but he stayed warm working, and didn’t mind being out of the heat of the South Texas summer.
“Dave, hurry up!”
Dave had been his partner for three years now, and they had a lot of laughs working together. They switched off being driver or loader, and today was Dave’s turn to drive. Unfortunately, Dave was slower than all get-out when it came to backing up the trash truck.
“I’m coming! Keep your pants on.”
Tony moved down the alley and grabbed the first two cans. Dumping them in the back before Dave had even stopped, he turned to get the next two cans. Lying between them was a homeless man, a common sight in the Quincy Street area.
Tony nudged the man with his foot. “Hey, buddy. I need you to move.”
When the man didn’t respond, Tony moved around him to the last two cans, and emptied them. Just the two by the homeless guy were left. He bent over and shook the man’s shoulder.
“Hey…”
The homeless man’s head rolled to one side, his open eyes fixed on Tony with a dead stare. Tony staggered backward.
“Dave…Dave! Call 911”
Chapter 1
The sign on his office door still looked strange. Captain John Patton. He’d been a lieutenant for so many years, and now he was a captain. It was something he never wanted to be, and now he was fighting the political battles he never wanted to fight.
John Patton was a big man. He worked out every morning and it seemed every muscle was tight and toned. His brown eyes were almost hidden, as was his mouth, by hair. His eyebrows were bushy and unruly and his teeth were hidden beneath an out-of-control moustache except when he laughed.
There was no mistaking why he found himself with a new title and a new office. Linda, his wife of thirty-six years, was tired of him being in the line of fire. He’d had two close calls in the last couple of years, and she thought he would be safer working with the men in control on the top floor. John wasn’t so sure, but kept his reservations to himself.
“Just a different kind of firing line.” He’d mumbled when he’d left home for his first day.
“What was that, dear?”
“Nothing. See you tonight at dinner.”
Linda kissed him. “Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Patton pushed through the door bearing his name and laid his briefcase on the desk. The sign had gone on the door even before a picture had made it onto the wall, which was fine by him, because he wasn’t sure if he was staying.
“Good morning, Captain.”
John looked up to see his secretary, Mary Faldo, standing there with a cup of coffee in one hand and a note in the other.
“Good morning, Mary.”
She set the coffee down and read the note. “Chief wants to see you as soon as you can make it to his office.”
“Did he say what it was about?”
“Afraid not.”
Patton didn’t bother sitting down. He picked up the coffee cup and headed for his boss’s office. He stopped before he reached the hall and turned back. “Thanks for the coffee, Mary.”
She just smiled and went back to her desk.
*******
Detective Jason Strong kissed Sandy, then his daughter, before going to the car. Little Nina was now just six months old, but she had complete control of her daddy, and Jason was certain she knew it.
His wife laughed. “She’s six months old! She won’t have complete control of you for at least another year.”
Jason leaned against the car door and looked back at his family. His family. He still hadn’t got used to the changes in their lives. “Oh, yeah! Well, for her to get control, you’re going to have to get out of the way!”
“Are you saying I have control of you, Jason Strong?”
Jason made a goofy face, followed by a few disjointed puppet maneuvers with his arms, causing both Sandy and Nina to giggle. He got in the car and waved through the windshield as he backed out of the driveway. His phone rang five minutes after he pulled out. It was his partner, Detective Vanessa Layne.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Jason. Are you on your way?”
“Yeah, be there in ten.”
“Good. I haven’t eaten, so is it okay if we stop somewhere on the way in?”
“Sure.”
“Great. Se
e you in a few.”
*******
John Patton knocked on Chief William Murray’s office door. The absence of Chief Murray’s secretary was unusual, but Patton was glad to avoid the extra layer of protocol.
“Come in!”
The captain opened the door and entered the oak-paneled office. A picture of the chief shaking hands with the mayor hung behind Murray’s oversized walnut desk.
Murray was more businessman than cop, at least in appearance, with close-cropped gray hair, a white shirt, a gray tie, and black pants. The chief was also younger than most of his immediate deputies, including John, and had outdoorsy good looks.
Murray came around the desk and shook his captain’s hand. “Thanks for coming in so quickly, John. I’ve got a mess and I need your help with it.”
The chief went back around to his chair, sat down, and gestured for Patton to take one of the armchairs in front of the desk. John sat, spilling his coffee on the chief’s leather chair. If Murray noticed, he didn’t say anything. John set the cup on the desk. “What’s up?”
The chief flipped open a file on his desk. “You’ve heard about the deaths down on Quincy?”
“Sure. They’re homeless folks, aren’t they?”
“That’s right. Three of them in the past ten days.”
“I understood those deaths had been declared by natural causes.”
“Again, you’re right,” Chief Murray turned the file around and slid it toward Patton. “This was on my desk this morning, along with a note.”
John Patton picked up the folder and examined the contents. The top page was a photo of a dead man. “Who’s this?”
“That is victim number four. He was found in an alley off Quincy by the city trash guys.”
“Do you have a cause of death?”
The chief shook his head. “No.”
“When’s the autopsy being done?”
“They’re doing it now.”
Patton looked from the photo to his boss. “What was the note?”
“It was from the mayor. He wanted me to call him first thing.”
“And?”
The chief stood up and started to pace. “Apparently, the mayor is getting some heat from community leaders involved with helping the homeless. They aren’t convinced these are all natural deaths, and they want someone to look into them.”
John Patton’s temples started to pound. “I take it the mayor agrees with them?”
“Not necessarily, but he doesn’t want to be caught with his pants down on this. He’s afraid that if it does turn out someone is targeting these people, the police and the city will be accused of sweeping it under the rug.”
“And by association, his honor the mayor.”
Murray stopped pacing and turned to his captain. “Yes.”
“Okay. What do you want from me?”
The chief came over and sat on the corner of the desk, looking down at his new captain. “Have someone look into all four deaths. Make sure we’ve crossed our t’s and dotted our i’s on this one.”
“Fine. I’ll talk to Banks.”
“Good. Report back to me as soon as you can.”
John got up and started for the door. “Will do.”
“Oh, John?”
Patton turned. “Yeah?”
“Take your cup.”
*******
Jason pulled into the Denny’s parking lot. After being seated, Jason ordered coffee while Vanessa ordered pancakes, eggs, and toast. Jason laughed. “Eating for two?”
Vanessa was thin with straight black hair and large blue eyes, which were now glaring at him. “Are you trying to say I’m fat?”
Jason threw up his hands in defence. “No...no! It was just a joke.”
Vanessa smiled. “It better be!”
She sipped her coffee before giving Jason a shy smile. “Actually, now that you mentioned it...”
“Mentioned what?”
“Pregnancy! Will you please try to follow along?”
Jason smirked at his partner. “Are you and Rob trying again?”
She nodded. “Do you remember me telling you Rob wanted a big family?”
“Sure.”
“Well, he’s got me convinced to have a second baby.”
Jason wasn’t buying what Vanessa was selling. “Oh, he has you convinced? Twisted your arm, did he?”
Vanessa laughed. “I’m not at liberty to discuss whose arm was being twisted.”
They laughed together as the food arrived. Vanessa attacked her food, and it appeared to Jason a baby might already be on the way.
*******
Captain Patton got off the elevator on the third floor. He chastised himself out loud for not taking the stairs. “You’ll get fat sitting behind that desk all the time, John.”
Homicide Division took up the entire third floor of the San Antonio Police Station, and had been his home for many years, first as a detective and then as the lieutenant in charge. He still felt more comfortable here than upstairs.
Walking up to his old office, he rapped on the doorframe, causing Sarah Banks to jump. “Oh, John! You scared the crap out of me.”
“Hi, Sarah. Got a minute?”
“Of course.”
John came through the door, closed it behind him, and sat down in front of his lieutenant. “I brought you something.” He slid four file folders across the desk.
“It looks like you brought me four somethings.”
“Technically, yes. Those are the case files from the Quincy Street deaths.”
“The homeless folks?”
“Yes. The chief wants us to have someone take a look at all four.”
“I thought they were all ruled death by natural causes. Why does he want us to look at them?”
“You’re correct, but the fourth one is still undetermined, at least until the autopsy is finished.”
Sarah Banks leaned back in her chair and eyed the captain suspiciously. “I get the feeling someone thinks their butt may be hanging naked in the wind over these cases.”
“You may be right, but it’s not mine or the chief’s that’s feeling exposed.”
“Okay, I’ll put someone on it and get back to you.”
Patton stood up and opened the door. “I don’t want to push, but would you consider assigning Strong and Layne to look at it?”
His lieutenant smiled. “Funny you say that. They’re exactly who I had in mind.”
The captain smiled back at her. “Thanks, Sarah. I appreciate it.”
Chapter 2
Jason followed Vanessa out of the elevator on the third floor. Vanessa carried a doggie bag with her toast in it. She set it on her desk before going in search of another cup of coffee. Jason pulled out his chair and sat down. His desk was pushed up against hers, so they faced each other when they were working.
Lieutenant Banks came out of her office and looked around. “Is Layne in yet?”
“Yeah. She’s getting coffee, I think.”
“Okay, when she gets back, I want to see both of you in my office.”
Vanessa came back around the corner just as the lieutenant turned to go. “Oh, there you are. I need you and Strong in my office.”
“Now?”
Banks stared at Vanessa. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
“Oh, no…I mean, of course not. I was just going to eat my toast.”
Jason rolled his eyes at his partner. It seemed there was no end to the number of ways Vanessa found to irritate the lieutenant. Banks looked at the Denny’s bag on the desk, then back at her detective. “Bring your toast if you like, Layne.”
When the lieutenant had returned to her office, Jason shook his head. Vanessa pointed a finger at him. “Don’t you say a thing! I’m hungry.”
For the second time that morning, Jason threw his hands up. “I didn’t say a word.”
*******
Fifteen minutes later, the two detectives emerged from the lieutenant’s office with a set of file folders in hand
. Vanessa plopped into her chair. “What do you want to do first?”
Jason dropped the folders on his desk. “I want to know if the autopsy on victim four is complete. Hold on a sec.”
Jason picked up the phone and dialed the morgue.
“Coroner.”
Jason didn’t recognize the voice. “Is Doc Davis in?”
“No, he’s off for a few days. I’m covering for Doctor Davis. My name is Darrel Chase, can I help you?”
‘Doctor Davis’? Jason instantly knew this guy wasn’t a regular at the station morgue. Everybody around here called Leonard Davis ‘Doc.’
“I hope so. I’m Detective Strong from Homicide, and I was calling to check on the autopsy of Larry Dabney.”
“The homeless guy?”
“Yes.”
“I finished about twenty minutes ago. I can run it up shortly.”
“No need. My partner and I will stop by and get it. Thanks.”
Jason hung up and looked at Vanessa. “I guess Doc’s on vacation. You want to go downstairs and get the autopsy report with me?”
Vanessa got back out of her chair. “Sure. You drive the elevator.”
*******
A few minutes later, they arrived in the basement. To the left of the elevator was the domain of the Medical Examiner, ‘Doc Davis.’ His office consisted of an autopsy room, two large freezers for bodies, and a small, glass-walled cubicle where he did his paperwork. Several large sinks, designed to have a gurney rolled up to them, lined the far wall.
As they came through the frosted glass door, they found a young man standing by the table usually attended by Doc Davis. He looked to be in his thirties, black hair matched by black horn-rimmed glasses, and the trademark pale skin of someone who spends most of their time in a morgue.
Darrel Chase turned to greet his visitors. “You must be Detective Strong.”
“Jason will do.” They shook hands. “This is Vanessa Layne, my partner.”
Vanessa nodded. “Nice to meet you. Where’s Doc Davis?”
LETHAL INJECTION (Det. Jason Strong(CLEAN SUSPENSE) Book 8) Page 1
