“No problem, Martin. Are you all right?” he inquired, with genuine concern.
“Yes, I’m fine, thank you. I’d better get into the office.” He scurried away. “Have a good day, Detectives.”
“Hey, Miller!” She called after him. “We’ll catch up real soon, you and me.”
He didn’t turn around. Instead, he just picked up his already rapid pace and kept going.
“You really are a piece of work, Maria,” Andy said as he turned to face his partner. “You know, maybe Jen is right; he seems like an okay kind of guy. Just a little geeky.” He started to make his way back to their vehicle. “Just for once can you try and get through a day without upsetting anybody?”
“I could try.” She smiled. “Now can we please go and get some breakfast?”
They got in the car and headed out of the parking lot. After travelling a few blocks in silence, Maria turned to Andy.
“They all seem very friendly in Chris’s office, don’t they?” she quizzed.
By the tone of her voice he knew she was leading up to something, so instead of cutting her off, he let her continue.
“I mean, all that hugging. That’s surely not normal, is it?” she continued.
Andy took his eyes off the road for a brief second to glance at her. He was unsure if she did actually have a hidden agenda, or whether she was just questioning normal human interaction. “I think that it’s quite normal,” he said, returning his attention to driving. “Believe it or not, there are some people out there who actually like the company of other people.”
“I couldn’t be doing with that hugging shit,” she said nonchalantly, and gazed out of the side window.
Andy didn’t pay much attention to what she had said. He dismissed the comment as something she must have inadvertently said out loud instead of keeping it as a thought in her head.
***
“At last!” Maria broke the silence when Andy swung the car into the parking lot at Coop’s Diner. “I’m so hungry I could eat a piece of three-day-old road kill.”
“Nice. I know it’s probably the first day you’ve not been hung over in God knows how many years, but road kill?” He looked incredulously at her.
They both got out of the car and entered the diner. Coop had already placed two coffee mugs on the counter and had nearly finished filling them when they sat on their usual seats. Maria noticed the ‘hangover kit’ he had prepared next to her coffee. Without hesitation she picked it up, leaned over the counter, and deposited it on the shelf.
“What’s going on, Maria?” Her partner looked shocked. “No hangover on a Monday? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Just thought I might give this sobriety thing a try.” She lifted her mug and took a sip of coffee.
“Really?” He glanced at his father, then back to her. “And what, or should I say who, has brought on this change to central Florida’s most hardened party animal?”
“What makes you think there’s a person involved?” she asked, putting her mug on the counter.
“I know you, Maria Hernandez,” he persisted. “Nothing comes between you and your favorite nocturnal activity, unless someone has found a way to that heart of stone of yours.”
“Fuck you, partner.” She flicked her middle finger at him.
“Come on, girlie, you’re among friends here. What’s going on?” Coop reached over and gently nudged her hand. She looked at him and realized what he was trying to do as he flicked his eyes towards his son.
“Oh… Okay… There might be someone who has shown me the light,” she said coyly, while giving the retired cop a little grin.
“Well, you kept this quiet!” Andy sat back in his seat and turned sideways to face her. “When do I get to meet him?”
She picked up her mug and shrugged in an attempt to dismiss the question. Andy looked like he was set to continue his probing but was cut off by his phone ringing. He quickly got the phone out of his pocket and checked the display.
“I have to take this. Dad, the usual for me.” He stood and tapped her on the shoulder. “I will be back to finish this conversation. You won’t get away with it that easy.”
He walked towards the door, answering the phone on the way, and stepped outside for some privacy. Coop watched as the door closed behind his son, then turned to Maria and leaned over the counter to get closer to her.
“I’ve had a look through those files.” Coop’s voice was almost a whisper. “Any chance you can come here after your shift? There are a few things I need to take you through.”
“Yeah, my car’s at home, so when Andy drops me off I’ll come straight back here,” she said with enthusiasm.
“It’s really that easy to get a date with Florida’s hottest detective?” He stood up, mimicking a shocked reaction. Her face flushed when he winked at her.
“Well, that depends on who’s asking, and at what time of night they approach me.” She smiled at him.
“Are you flirting with me, Detective Hernandez?” He toyed with her.
“You son of a bitch,” she giggled. “You started it.”
“Are you sure about that?” He continued, “Listen, I’d better get going on Andy’s breakfast. Do you want anything, or is that a stupid question?”
“Would you believe that I’m starving?” She posed the rhetorical question then continued. “Give me the same as Andy, and a strong coffee, please.”
He looked at her and grabbed his chest, pretending that the shock of her ordering food had sent him into cardiac arrest.
“Very fucking funny, old man,” she scowled.
He held his hands above his head in a surrendering pose. “Hey, I’m only saying.” He pointed at her. “That’s the first time in all the years you’ve been coming here I’ve known you to order breakfast.” Then he leaned forward and gently held her hand and gave a warm smile. “It’s good to see you looking after yourself.” He patted the back of her hand and headed into the kitchen. “Two Southwestern omelets and two coffees, coming up.”
Andy returned from his phone call and took his seat next to her. He leaned on the counter with one elbow and rested his head on his hand, studying her for a second, waiting for her to speak. She didn’t, so it was up to him to break the silence.
“All right, what’s going on with you?” He knew the best way to deal with her was to not skate around anything you wanted to discuss with her. Go straight in, get the information you want, and get out. Hopefully without a bullet wound.
“Someone may have pointed out that I need to slow down a bit. Don’t blow this out of proportion, partner, it’s no big deal.” Her dismissive tone made him even more suspicious and determined to get to the bottom of this sudden change in her.
“I’ve been telling you this for years and you’ve never listened.” He sat up off the counter and took a sip of his coffee. “This ‘someone’ must be some piece of work to get you to pay attention so quickly; I would like to meet him or her.”
He looked for a reaction, but she didn’t respond. She just kept looking straight ahead, as if ignoring him. Coop came out of the kitchen and placed some cutlery and condiments in front of them. Without warning, Maria spoke.
“Yeah, I guess he is kind of special. Very wise, and my God is he hot.” Maria risked a sly grin at the older man before continuing. “We haven’t slept together yet, but I just know he will be dynamite between the sheets.”
Andy screwed his face up in mock disgust. “Enough! You’re going to put me off my breakfast.”
“I thought you wanted the details?” She laughed.
Coop walked back into the kitchen with a confident smile on his face to collect their order, then re-emerged seconds later followed by Beth giving him a hard time about her not being employed as a cook. The diner owner rolled his eyes and smiled at the detectives.
“Two Southwestern omelets,” he announced, as he placed the food on the counter. “Made by Beth’s fair and beautiful hands.”
He raised his voice as h
e spoke and looked over his shoulder towards Beth, who shot him an exasperated look.
“How about those coffees, old man?” Maria asked.
Before he got a chance to retrieve the coffee pot from the machine, a loud beep followed by the dispatcher’s voice came over Andy’s police radio attached to his belt. The dispatcher was requesting any available detectives to respond to a scene not far from their location. Andy picked up the radio, pressed the button, and responded that they were on their way.
“You have got to be shitting me?” Maria almost shouted.
“You heard it, partner. Time to go to work. Let’s roll.” The male detective stood up. “Dad, we have to go. Put these on my tab and I’ll pay you later.”
Maria slowly rose from her seat, shoveling as much food in her mouth as she could. She eventually threw her fork down on the counter and took a final gulp of her coffee. She waved at Coop and rushed to catch up with Andy.
***
The crime scene was only a short distance from the diner, and they arrived there in under ten minutes. Andy parked alongside the four police cruisers that were in attendance, along with the crime scene van. The whole area had police tape sealing it off, making it unclear at first exactly where the crime had occurred. They got out of the car and walked towards the tape.
“Morning, Detectives.” A uniformed officer stood guard to make sure no unauthorized people could pass greeted them.
Andy recognized the cop from a previous crime scene.
“Hi . . . Officer Wilson, isn’t it?” Andy asked, while still looking around the area.
“Yes, sir,” the cop replied.
“This is Detective Hernandez.” Andy pointed at his partner.
Maria nodded her head at the cop, who acknowledged her with a brisk nod.
“So what are we looking at here, Wilson?” Andy asked.
“If you follow me, I’ll show you.” Wilson held the tape up.
The detectives stooped under the tape and waited for Wilson to lead the way.
“This way.” Wilson held his hand out in the direction of an alley.
Maria and Andy followed a few steps behind him, taking in as much of the surrounding scene as possible without stopping and making notes.
The alley walls were covered in graffiti, letting anyone unfortunate enough to wander into the area know the region was under the control of a local gang. There was an overbearing odor of urine. The familiar sight of a CSI officer wearing a white boiler suit taking photos of something on the ground hidden behind a dumpster indicated they had reached the scene. As the detectives got closer, they could see that the target of the camera was the body of an adult male.
“Are we okay to come closer?” Andy queried.
The CSI officer stopped taking photos and looked at them. “Sure. I’m just taking some last shots.”
Both detectives knew the CSI from previous investigations as Jack Palmer. Neither Maria nor Andy found him particularly interesting or funny, but they both agreed that he was a brilliant Crime Scene Investigator. If any clues were to be found here, undoubtedly Palmer would find them.
The trio exchanged pleasantries before getting down to business.
“What have you found, Palmer?” the female detective asked in her usual direct way.
“Still preliminary, but I’m pretty confident the cause of death is due to the large hole in the back of the victim’s head.” Palmer looked up as if expecting some kind of reaction from the detectives but they just stared at him with deadpan expressions. He coughed nervously and continued.
“The victim was bound, gagged, and shot at point-blank range with a 9mm in the back of the head.” He paused as if gathering his thoughts. “Time of death I would guess at around 2:00 a.m. Obviously, I’ll know more when I get the coroner’s report.”
“Bound and gagged, eh?” Maria reiterated. “Execution style?”
“Any ID on him?” Andy asked.
“No ID, but I’m confident I’ll be able to get something on him quite quickly. Judging by the tat’s he was a gang member, so he’ll undoubtedly have a record.” The CSI turned to the detectives. “There is one other thing. This isn’t the kill site. The body was dumped here.”
“Are you sure?” She looked Palmer in the eye.
“Hundred percent,” the CSI replied with confidence. “There’s no blood spatter, and the pooling from the wound would be a lot more. This dude lost most of his juice somewhere else.”
“Any clues to the location of the primary site?” Andy quizzed.
Palmer shrugged. “I’ve got to get the body back to the lab and see if there’s anything I can find, but that’s all I have for you at the moment. As soon as I get anything more I’ll give you a call.”
“Thanks, Palmer.” The male detective nodded, then turned to his partner. “I recognize those tats. They’re Surin’s gang.”
“I thought they looked familiar. Regan is going to love this; gangbangers with bullet holes all over the city.” She looked around the alley and the surrounding area. “Good place to dump a body. No houses overlooking. I’d imagine canvassing the area would be pointless.”
“Do it anyway,” Andy ordered Wilson. “See if anything turns up. If it does, let me know immediately.” He took a moment to scan the area. “Come on, partner; let’s go for a coffee.”
“Coffee!” she exclaimed.
“Yeah, coffee.” He signaled for her to follow him. “There’s a guy a few blocks away who keeps his ear to the ground. If you need to know what’s happening around town, Randell is the man you speak to.”
“Randell?” She looked quizzical at him. “We’ve been partners for years, how come you never mentioned this guy?”
“Theres a lot of things I’ve never told you.” He smiled at her. “Come on Maria. One of the main rules of being a Detective is never show your full hand.”
***
Five minutes later, Andy stopped the car outside a single-story building. The only indication that its purpose was a diner was the large double window that was used as a serving hatch. A dreadlocked black male leaned out of the open window, shouting lewd comments and wolf whistling at a young woman who was passing by.
“Wow, he’s a real charmer, isn’t he?” Maria said as she got out of the car.
“Be nice,” Andy warned, as he walked around the car and smiled at the dreadlocked male.
“Detective Cooper!” the man shouted in a heavy Haitian accent. “How is my favorite enforcer of the law? And who is this vision of beauty that is with you?”
“Randell, my man. How is the fast food trade?” They shook hands.
Andy knew Randell’s food joint was just a front for his drugs trade. He was a low-level dealer so they left him alone in exchange for any information that he had on the area they called Little Haiti.
The Haitian knew everyone and everything that happened in the area, and that was far more valuable to the detectives than busting him for dealing a bit of weed to some college kids.
“I need some information, Randell.” He leaned on the sill. “Oh, and two coffees.”
“Two coffees coming right up.” The vendor clicked his fingers at someone in the kitchen. “Can I get you anything else?”
“I’ve just come from a crime scene a few blocks away,” Andy proceeded. “Not a pretty sight. I’ve got one of Surin’s crew dumped in an alley with a bullet hole in his head.”
“I don’t know anything about that, Detective. I just sell rice and beans,” he said with a smug mile on his face as he turned to Maria. “And hot Haitian sausage is always available.”
“Is this fucking guy for real?” She glared at him.
“She’s got spice of her own, I like her! She’s feisty,” he said, then pretended to take a bite out of her.
“She!” the female detective emphasized, disgusted at his act of chauvinism, “also has a 9mm Glock with ten in the mag and one in the pipe. If you do that to me again I will empty the fucking lot into your dick. Do I make myself clear?
”
“I like her. I like her a lot.” He laughed loudly.
“Believe me when I tell you she will shoot you.” Andy’s abruptness brought his laughing to an instant and sudden end.
“Now, I’ll ask you one more time.” The detective leaned in close to him. “And what you say next will determine whether or not I call the DEA and have them rip this shithole you call a diner apart.” He grabbed Randell’s collar and pulled him through the window far enough for his feet to leave the ground. “Am I making myself clear?”
The Haitian nodded his head with vigor, acknowledging he understood the threat. Andy released his grip, letting him regain his footing inside.
“Again, what do you know about Surin’s gang?” he asked, as he brushed the Haitian’s collar back into place.
“No need to come down on me like that, Detective Cooper. You know I’m always happy to help the good guys.” He lowered his voice and lost some of his accent. “Truth is, I don’t honestly know what is going on.” Randell looked genuinely terrified as he continued. “I’ve got a feeling that something big is going down.” He took a good look around to make sure no one could hear him. “My guess is an internal power struggle for leadership. At the same time, rivals are trying to take advantage of a leaderless gang.”
“That makes sense,” Maria interjected, still eyeing up him as if she was deciding whether or not she should shoot him.
“Randell, I’ll level with you. I don’t want to send hordes of units down here, but you’re not leaving me many options here.” Andy spoke slowly and concisely to really make sure his point was getting across. “Spread the word that this needs to stop before an innocent gets caught in the crossfire. Because if that happens, every law enforcement organization in the state will descend upon you, and that won’t be good for business.”
“Okay, okay, okay.” The vendor stood back. “I’ll spread the word; but you have to believe me, this is nothing to do with me, and I have no influence over these guys.”
“I believe you,” the detective reassured him. “Just work with me on this, and everything will be fine.”
“Hey, I got your back, Detective Cooper.” The heavy accent had returned. Then turning to Maria, the vile chauvinist returned. “You sure I can’t interest you in some spicy Haitian sausage? It’s my own special recipe.”
The Genesis Chamber Page 8
