Kathryn's Justice

by Marianne Spitzer

  She looked up and smiled again. “I’m not quite sure. My grandpa had knee surgery and asked me to find him some bullets for his gun. Oh, here it is.” She thrust a small piece of paper at him that she had quickly written when she hid her gun purchase in her car’s trunk. “I hope you can read grandpa’s writing.”

  “Oh yeah, no problem. I think I have some. Here’s a half box. Guess that’s all I have.” He shrugged.

  “That’s better than nothing,” she smiled again and paid the man.

  He pointed to the first aisle of the hall and said, “There are a few ammo dealers set up there. You might find another partial box or even a full box if you’re lucky.”

  “Thanks.” Kathryn picked up the white plastic bag, dropped the smile from her face, and meandered to the aisle the young man pointed out.

  She spotted several tables selling ammo, but she wasn’t sure which had exactly what she wanted. She didn’t want to stop at each table and become obvious, so she chose the table with more ammo than the others. She hit pay dirt and smiled inwardly.

  She said, “Excuse me, but do you happen to have any of this kind of bullet?” She handed the middle-aged seller the same slip of paper she used at her last purchase.

  “Sure do, little lady. Right here, I have two boxes. Fifty in each. Want ‘em both?” He picked up the two boxes.

  “No, I don’t think so. My grandpa wants them for protection. I don’t think he would need that many.” She smiled and shifted her purse on her shoulder.

  “Well, I’ll tell you something. It isn’t easy to find this ammo, and I’ll make you a deal if you by the second box.” His grin made Kathryn shudder.

  She thought, Act stupid and believe him. You can find this ammo other places, but buying more than enough today will save you from trying this again. Plus you need some for practice.

  “Really? I had no idea.” She shot him her friendliest smile. “Okay, I’ll get both and surprise grandpa.”

  “Wonderful.” He grinned again as he took her money and slipped the boxes into another white plastic bag.

  Kathryn meandered away until she saw the man occupied with another customer, and she strode down the aisle, out the front doors, and to her car.

  ~ * ~

  The weather seemed to be clearing and Kathryn hoped she wouldn’t have to drive home in a storm. Kathryn pulled out of the parking spot, turned left out of the expo grounds, and headed for the highway. She didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until she crossed the state line. Not that her purchase of an illegal gun was any less of a crime in Wisconsin than it was in any other state, but she felt that if no one had stopped her before she left the state she was home free. Taking a deep breath, she realized she was hungry. She pulled off the highway and stopped at one of her favorite chain restaurants.

  As she waited for her meal, she planned on where to practice with her gun. She was a good shot with her other one, but this gun felt different and she needed to be one-hundred percent accurate. She remembered James’ family owned a summer cabin not too far from where she was, and no one would be there this early in the year. Kathryn decided to spend the night in a nearby motel and head for the cabin and shooting practice early the next morning.

  ~ * ~

  It didn’t take Kathryn long to handle the new gun with ease and accuracy. She enjoyed the feeling she had when she held it. It wouldn’t be long before she could put it to good use. She smiled to herself thinking of making the world a safer place, but not for a few weeks. She needed a silencer; homemade would be best. She knew some of the guys at work mentioned a machinist they knew who worked side jobs at his home garage. Not sure if he made silencers, but she knew he sawed off shotguns for two of the guys at work. She made a mental list of things to do. She hated to put lists on paper. They could be incriminating.

  By the time she pulled into her garage, Kathryn had made a list she thought would work perfectly. First on her agenda--get information out of the guys at work without them realizing they were helping her. Joey Coyle might be her best bet. He and Rand Gordon were the biggest braggarts and flirts of all the orderlies. Nick was sweet on her, but he didn’t hunt or own a gun as far as she knew. She wouldn’t risk exposing herself by asking him.

  When she climbed into bed that night and turned off her lamp, she was honing the finer points of her plan. It was the last thing on her mind as she drifted off to sleep and the first thought to cross her mind when her alarm woke her eight hours later.

  Chapter Five

  Kathryn rolled over and glanced at the clock. She still had an hour before her alarm would ring. She tried to quiet her mind. Thoughts from the list she had memorized danced in her mind. A few deep breaths helped her to relax enough to sleep for most of the hour. When the alarm woke her, she stretched and headed for the shower excited about her day. She hoped to glean some information from the talkative Joey Coyle. Each bit of information brought her closer to the day she anticipated.

  Execution Day.

  ~ * ~

  Kathryn hurried off the elevator to find the morgue completely lit. She saw Doc Graydor close and latch one of the storage drawers.

  The doors opened for her, and she said, “Good morning. You should have called me. I would have come in early. Just give me a couple of minutes to change.”

  “Take your time. I finished the autopsy. It was an elderly woman whose family was concerned that something other than her congestive heart failure caused her death. She was a resident at one of the local nursing homes, and they appeared to feel a bit guilty. I can assure them she wasn’t mistreated.”

  Kathryn looked down at her feet and then up to meet the doctor’s eyes. “I can understand that, sir. I took care of my mom and for months after she died, I went over every detail to be sure I didn’t do something-anything wrong. Feeling guilty is a terrible thing, and I had medical training. I knew in my heart I had done all I could, but the mind has thoughts of its own. Your findings will help bring the family peace.”

  “You have a great deal of empathy, Kathryn,” he said with a soft smile on his face. “You would have made a great nurse, but I’m pleased you work here with me.”

  “After losing mom, I’m not sure I could have lost another patient. This is a good job for me. I can do all I can for them now that their lives are over. The dead can teach us a lot. I also understand the families if I need to speak to them.” She interlaced her fingers and sighed. “My sister thinks I’m a little crazy, but that’s okay.”

  Doc laughed, “We’re all a little crazy in our own way, Kathryn. It helps us survive.”

  “I suppose you’re right. I should change and get ready for work. Never know when we’ll get busy.” She turned and headed for the locker room.

  ~ * ~

  Kathryn closed the locker and clicked the lock shut when she heard Joey Coyle’s voice.

  “Kat, is that you in there? Can I come in, baby?”

  Baby? Baby? I’m going to strangle him.

  She hurried to the door. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Doc will fire you. I heard you had more trouble with Brondon. It’s all over the hospital. What do you want?” She looked over her shoulder to be sure they were alone.

  He reached for her hand. “I just wanted to talk.”

  “Not now, Doc is waiting for me. Meet me in the cafeteria for lunch.” She closed the door watching an evil grin take over his face.

  She leaned on the door and blew out a large breath.

  “How did he know I wanted to talk to him today,” she mumbled. “Who cares? If he wants to talk to me, he might be more open to my questions. I’ll flirt with him and convince him I’m interested in his gun collection.”

  She hurried back into the morgue and straightened up the equipment Doc Graydor used before she arrived that morning. Kathryn sat down and began working on a pile of paperwork sitting on her desk.

  ~ * ~

  Lunch time snuck up on her, and Doc had to remind her to take her break.

  “I still have
some paperwork to finish. I’ll go after it’s done.” She said looking over her shoulder toward his voice coming from his office doorway.

  “Eating good meals at proper intervals will keep you from being a guest in this room before your time.” She could hear the jest in his voice, but she popped up out of her chair.

  “Going now and I heard they have vegetable soup in the cafeteria. Sounds healthy. Can I bring some back for you?” She turned and looked back at him.

  “My wife is bringing in lunch and we’ll take a nice break. I have no intention of being a guest here too early either. The coolers don’t look comfortable.” He laughed out loud, and Kathryn joined him.

  A bit of dark humor kept the days from becoming too stressful.

  She waved as she headed for the elevator hitting the hand sanitizer button as she passed through the automatic doorway.

  ~ * ~

  The vegetable soup smelled delicious, and Kathryn was sure it and the half albacore tuna sandwich she was having for lunch were just what Doc would tell her to order. She wasn’t so sure about the chocolate brownie, but the spirit needed to be fed, too.

  She settled in her chair when Joey Coyle pulled out the chair across from her and set his tray down. He was having a grilled cheese sandwich and a bag of chips.

  She smiled and said, “They don’t sell chips in the cafeteria.”

  “Brought them from home. Want some?” He held out the bag to her.

  She shook her head. “No, thanks.” She blew on a spoonful of soup before trying it. She glanced over the top of her spoon at Joey, who was watching her every move.

  He was grinning at her, and she felt a shudder run down her spine.

  She returned his smile and said, “I heard Brondon ruined your big weekend plans. It’s a shame.”

  “I hate that old hag,” Joey said shoving chips into his mouth.

  “Rand said you were going to a gun show. Interesting hobby.” She took another spoonful of soup waiting for his reaction.

  “Yeah, it is. You like guns?”

  Kathryn shrugged. “I never had one or even shot one.”

  “We could go out shooting sometime. I think you might like it.” He was still munching chips and staring at her.

  “Hmm, maybe.” She smiled. “Rand said you like to find old guns at gun shows. Do they still work?”

  Bingo

  Her question struck at Joey’s passion, and he began a ten minute explanation of why he likes gun shows and the guns he buys.

  She leaned close and whispered, “Won’t you get in trouble buying guns that way?”

  “No, they’ll never be traced back to me. I have a friend who does some work on them for me like shorten the barrels or removes serial numbers.” He crumbled up his bag of chips and picked up his sandwich.

  She whispered, and he moved closer. “Does he make things like silencers or do you need to use a pillow like I saw on a crime drama?” She tried to act coy and gave a soft giggle.

  Joey nearly choked on his sandwich. “A pillow, that’s classic. No way, he makes real silencers.”

  She placed her elbows on the table and held up her head. Leaning closer, she said, “How interesting.”

  “Guy’s a genius. You’d like him. He has a good sense of humor like you do.” Joey ran his fingers up and down her arm.

  Wanting to recoil from his touch, she smiled. “Maybe I could see your collection and meet him sometime.”

  “Yeah, I got a nice setup at my place for all of them and Big Chuck loves to meet new people. We should go out sometime, and you could come over to my place.” His hand was still stroking her arm.

  “I’d like that. Sounds like fun. Hey, did you say Big Chuck? Not the same Big Chuck everyone talks about because he shows up in the E.R. at least once a week with a burn or nasty cut.” She sat up straight pulling her arms away from him.

  Joey pushed his chair back until he was balancing on the two rear legs. “Yup, that’s him. Hell of a machinist, but works too fast at times. He has a shop in his garage behind his house, and it’s full of used equipment and sometimes they don’t always work perfectly.”

  Kathryn nodded, “Hey, I need to get back to work. Think about what might be fun to do when we go out and let me know. You know where to find me.” Kathryn winked at him while fighting the bile rising in her throat.

  He nearly tipped the chair when he grabbed her tray, “I’ll put this away. See ya soon.”

  She waved at him as she hurried back to work. Mumbling to herself in the elevator, she said, “I can’t believe I flirted with him, and I’m shocked he just kept babbling about the guns and Big Chuck. He sure lives up to his reputation. He’ll say anything to impress a woman. It worked for me this time, but I feel as if I need a shower.” She shuddered again.

  The morgue was dark when Kathryn returned from lunch. She took advantage of being alone to get on the hospital computer. Fortunately, she had Doc’s password in case she ever needed to pull a file for him. She needed it now to find Big Chuck’s last name and address. It didn’t take long to find the name Charles cross-referenced with the E.R. She found his last name, address, employer to confirm he was a machinist, and his height and weight to understand why they called him Big Chuck.

  ~ * ~

  Kathryn looked up Chuck’s address. She found it was on the street behind the restaurant across the street from the hospital parking garage. She must have passed it a dozen times. After work, she drove to the restaurant and down the alley behind it. She noticed that a second alley intersected with the one behind Chuck’s garage and ran alongside his house. It appeared to be a quiet neighborhood. She stopped at the restaurant for dinner and drove past Chuck’s garage again. This time the lights in the garage were on.

  Living a few blocks away, Kathryn hurried home to get her gun. She waited for a half-hour until the sun set completely. She drove back to the restaurant and parked on the side nearest the alley. Her hands shook as she opened her car door. She inhaled deeply and walked to Chuck’s garage.

  She was going to knock until she saw a sign that read: “Ring buzzer.” She pressed the buzzer with a gloved index finger, and a giant of a man opened the door.

  Kathryn swallowed and said, “Hi, are you Chuck?”

  “I sure am little lady. Come on in.” He motioned with his hand for her to enter.

  She walked into a double car garage filled with machines she had never seen in her life.

  He looked at her and said, “So who are you and what can I do for you?”

  She tried to keep her voice low and act a bit sheepish. “My name’s Crystal. I’m a nurse at the hospital. Joey Coyle said you might be able to help me and my grandpa.”

  “That depends. What do ya need?” He sat on a stool in front of the workbench.

  She walked up and pulled the gun from her purse and placed it on the workbench.

  “This is my grandpa’s. He’s had it forever. He lives with me now, and I work some nights at the hospital. He gets nervous being home alone. He’s a good shot but needs to practice. He tried to practice in the basement, but a neighbor complained about noise.” She smiled at Chuck.

  “I understand that. My neighbors don’t like my machines either. I soundproofed the place.” He shifted on the stool.

  “Well, grandpa can’t get around very well. He doesn’t drive anymore and it’s hard for him to practice at a gun range. He thought if he had a silencer, he could still practice in the basement. He’s afraid of the internet and doesn’t want to order on-line. You know how some people worry. Well, Joey thought you could make one for grandpa.” Kathryn smiled what she hoped was her most endearing smile.

  “That I can do little lady,” Chuck smiled back.

  They settled on a price and time frame, and Kathryn said she’d be back. She waved as she left Chuck looking over the gun and nodding his head.

  She didn’t feel safe until she pulled into her own garage.

  Well, I did it. Step one done. I just hope Chuck and Joey don’t tal
k before I pick it up. Joey may wonder who Crystal is, but the way he flirts and brags he may not worry about it. Just another of his imagined conquests.

  ~ * ~

  Days seemed to drag by as Kathryn waited for her appointment with Big Chuck. When the day arrived, she rushed from work without speaking to anyone.

  The sun slipped below the horizon as Kathryn parked her car in the restaurant parking lot. She headed toward the building then walked around the side and down the alley leading to Big Chuck’s. A single streetlight cast shadows in the alley when she neared her destination.

  Kathryn pressed the buzzer on the side door of the weather-beaten garage with a brown leather gloved hand.

  Big Chuck opened the door and smiled, “Right on time.”

  “I don’t like to be late,” Kathryn smiled back.

  “C’mon in, I have it ready.”

  Kathryn walked into the brightly lit garage and followed Chuck to a work table. He picked up the silencer. He explained how to connect it to her gun while she watched. After trying and succeeding to connect her gun and the silencer twice, she asked, “Is there any chance I can try it out here?”

  “Sure thing, garage is somewhat soundproofed. Neighbors don’t like the sound of my machines running at night.” He pointed to the wall at the far end of the garage. “Just aim for the piece of plywood.”

  “This is lighter than I expected,” Kathryn said as she pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the center of the target.

  “Good shot. I tried not to make it too big or heavy and yet still have it do the job,” Chuck said. He grinned and Kathryn could sense his pride.

  “One more?” she asked.

  “As many times as you need.”

  The next bullet hit the target millimeters away from the first. “You did a good job. It’s perfect for what I need.”

  She dropped several rolled up bills on the work table. “Once more to be sure?”

  “Yup, third one’s the charm. Isn’t that what they say?” Chuck answered.

  “So I’ve heard,” Kathryn responded as she took one step back. She glanced at Chuck staring at the target. She turned and fired. The bullet hit Big Chuck’s temple before he realized she moved. He crumbled to the floor.