A Lifetime of Vengeance

by Pete PJ Grondin

  Patrick watched as Brian’s taillights turned to the south onto Kelly Park Drive. He waited a few minutes and listened for the sound of Brian’s mini-van to return. It never did. He made his way back into the vault, moved the heavy oak desk to the side a few feet to expose a section of wood flooring that didn’t appear to match the rest of the flooring at the edges. Pat pushed down on the left side of the odd floor panel causing the right side of the panel to pivot up. Pat removed the floor panel to gain access to the door to an underground chamber. Pat inserted the key to the heavy duty lock on the stainless steel door, turned the key to the right, jerked down on the lock and removed it from the heavy, thick hasp. The right side of the climate-controlled, stainless steel chamber contained numerous shelves on which a large assortment of ammunition was stacked. On the left side, a large rack with additional locking mechanisms contained a variety of weapons, from a Heckler and Koch 9MM pistol, a 45 caliber ARN1911and other assorted hand guns to a modified AR15 set to allow fully automatic performance, a Russian-made AK47, and a few others. Pat did a quick inventory of the firearms, checked the climate control system, closed and locked the steel door to the compartment and replaced the wooden floor cover. He’d disposed of the Iver Johnson Sniper rifle immediately after he’d completed the Vallero killing. He did a quick mental review of the coming events and smiled to himself. He was ready.

  His mood changed again to one of dread. The emotional roller-coaster ride he was on would not let up. He thought of Diane and the children. What if he was caught in the act? What would happen to them? How would Diane react to finding out she was married to a murderer and a one-time drug peddler? How would Sean face his friends at school? Kids are very cruel to one another when even the slightest weakness shows through. Sean was so young. So was Anna. How could he place his family’s well being in jeopardy?

  He left the vault, locking the door behind him. As he drove away, his dark mood lifted ever so slightly. He took a deep breath as he headed south on Kelly Park Drive in the first leg of his journey home. His first stop was at Joe’s apartment in Pine Hills. Maybe Joe would do him a favor and kill him before Diane had the chance.

  Chapter 24

  The exercise room at the apartment complex was about 20 feet by 20 feet with just a handful of workout machines; a treadmill, a universal, an exercise bike, and a bench with some free weights. It was nothing to write home about. They weren’t top of the line but were commercial grade and kept in good condition by the maintenance manager at the complex. He liked to work out, so he had a vested interest in making sure that they were in working order. The room was painted apartment complex beige. There were two small windows, a doorway from one hallway that led to the parking lot, and another that led to the laundry room. The laundry room also had a doorway to the opposite hallway. The smell in the room was typical of gym locker rooms. Stale sweat permeated the air like a pile of dirty socks. If you were there to work out, after a few minutes it didn’t bother you, but if you were just passing through after taking a shower, it made you feel like you needed another one.

  Joe finished his five mile run on the treadmill. He moved to the universal machine, put the pin in the slot indicating that 220 pounds was selected and started repetitions for his biceps. He was beginning to work up a serious sweat after about ten minutes. He figured about five more minutes of curls, fifteen minutes working on his abs and a ten minute cool-down period and he’d be ready for a swim. What he didn’t figure on was Lisa Goddard walking into the exercise room. He couldn’t help but allow his eyes to follow her tight body as she made her way around the different pieces of exercise equipment. He watched for just a few seconds and figured that he’d better concentrate on his workout or he’d never finish his routine. He had to avoid distractions, particularly at this crucial time. There were too many things going on right now. Business was at hand, the culmination of planning for years. He closed his eyes and counted the reps as he moved the 220 pound weights with what appeared to be relative ease. He began to focus his thoughts on the next phase of the plan to keep his mind off of the strain of his muscles. The technique worked well. It worked even better for Joe when his focus was anger and hate. He pictured himself grabbing a foe from behind and thrusting . . .

  “Hey, are you okay? You look like your having a heart attack or something.”

  Lisa’s voice startled Joe. He abruptly stopped his reps, opened his eyes, and looked blankly at Lisa for what seemed like a full minute. After the two seconds in real time, he answered, “No . . . I mean yeah, I’m fine.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your workout but you really looked like you were in pain, your face was pretty red and strained looking. I saw you had 220 pounds on the machine, I was just a little freaked.”

  Joe could feel the sweat running down his face. The heat from his body was rising, mostly from the workout but now made worse from coming face to face with this beautiful, young woman. He looked up into her eyes which were still looking at him with concern. Initially the concern was for his health. Now it appeared that she was afraid that she’d interrupted his workout. She thought that he was getting ready to tell her to beat it and not ever do that again.

  He said in a calm, but winded voice, “I really am fine. I just wasn’t expecting you to . . . I thought you were getting on the treadmill. It’s all warmed up for you. I just got off a few minutes ago.”

  “Wow, you spend a lot of time down here. I’ve been in here when you’re working out and I’m in and out before you even finish one set. Do you always close your eyes when you work out? That seems like it might not be the safest thing to do. I mean you could lose your balance on the treadmill or a weight could shift on the barbells. You should have someone else here while you work out, too. What if something does happen and you’re hurt to the point that you can’t help yourself?”

  “You’re right. I guess you could call it a bad habit. I like to close my eyes because I can think of being in different places. Like just now, I was imagining that I was in the mountains of North Carolina, back-packing up the Appalachian Trail. I used to run up in the mountains along a stretch of the trail when I was stationed at Camp Lejeune.” He really did make the trip several times. He loved the outdoors and the challenge of running in the mountains. “I hope to go back up there someday. It’s gorgeous up there, especially in the fall.” He kept talking, not missing a beat. His breathing had returned to normal but his pulse rate was elevated. “Since I got out of the service, I’ve always worked out alone. I think it’s because I really don’t have any friends that like to work out and I don’t want to spend the money on one of those gyms. They’re a rip off. It’s just real convenient to come down here. My apartment’s right up the walk. I’m talking too much.”

  “I know where it is and no you’re not talking too much.” Lisa replied. “I’ve seen you looking out the window.”

  Busted!

  “May I introduce myself?” Joe asked this in a mock formal voice, partly to hide his embarrassment.

  Before he could, Lisa said, “No introduction is necessary. You’re Joe McKinney, recently discharged from the United States Marine Corps after six years of active duty. Word gets around, Mr. McKinney. I mean Joe. This apartment complex is like a small town. It doesn’t take long for everyone to know your business.”

  Joe pondered this for just a second or two. Normally this news would have made him analyze things further, and maybe he would later when he was alone, but right now he needed to talk more with Miss Goddard.

  “Well, Miss Goddard, I know a bit about you, too.” This brought a little smile to Lisa’s face. “For instance, I know that you work at the Publix Grocery store in the plaza at the corner of Silver Star and Hiawassee, are 21 years young, and you obviously take good care of yourself. You are not from Florida, originally. I can tell that by your voice, no twang to it at all. So “I know you better than you think . . .” The lyrics and tune to the Brian Purcer song jumped out of Joe’s mouth before he even
realized what he was doing. The smile on his face was wide. Lisa’s reaction was a giggle.

  “So you’re a musician, too. And you know the local talent.”

  “No, no, no. I just get goofy when I’m relaxed. I saw Brian the other night at the Rock. Great show.” He stood and stretched a bit so he wouldn’t tighten up while they talked. “What exercises did you have in mind for today? I can help you. Remember the two man rule you just told me about. I mean two ‘person’ rule. And, by the way, where is your second person that you were going to work out with? Hmmm? Is your boyfriend on his way down to be your faithful assistant?”

  “Okay, I’m busted. I was going to work out alone, but I don’t pile on the weights like you. I do what I like to call a light ‘aerobic’ routine. It’s mostly repetition with lighter weights. I don’t do heavy duty lifting.” Lisa’s smile was bright. She had perfect, white teeth and absolutely beautiful eyes. She was, without a doubt, the most gorgeous woman that Joe had ever encountered. And she had a real personality.

  “I’m just playing with you anyway. But I am serious. Would you like me to help you with anything in here? We could be workout buddies. You help me by keeping an eye out for me and I can do the same for you. It appears that we both have similar schedules. I can meet you down here whenever you get off work. We can work out and then go for a swim. What do you say? Partners?” Joe’s smile was electric as he extended his hand to shake on their agreement. Lisa was melting in front of him.

  Hesitantly, she took his hand then gave it a firm shake and said “Okay, sure. But before we get into this routine, we need to get to know each other a little better. I know you’re ex-military. Where are you from?”

  “Well, I was born in Ohio, in a little town called Port Clinton.” He was just about to talk about his move to Indiana at a very young four years old when Lisa shouted, “You’re kidding!! I’m from Oak Harbor. You know we always kicked your guy’s asses in football. Port Clinton sucked.”

  “Well lucky for me I didn’t go to Port Clinton Schools. My folks moved us to Anderson, Indiana when I was just a little kid. Dad taught at a Christian college called Anderson University so that’s where I grew up until I was in high school. Then Dad got an opportunity to move down here to Orlando and teach at University of Central Florida. He moved us out in the country near Apopka. That’s where I went to high school. Now that was hard core culture shock. I don’t think he realized what he’d done to us until it was too late.” Joe paused here for a few seconds. He had to be a bit cautious about what cats he let out of the bag.

  “I know where Apopka is. It isn’t that bad.”

  “It was back then. You have to remember that that area’s grown quite a bit over the last eight to ten years. I mean, back then this was Hicksville. Those rednecks were still fightin’ the civil war, if you know what I mean.” The fake accent widened Lisa’s smile again. “My brothers and I were three Yankees from Indiana. We didn’t even mind the neegars. Again, Joe threw in the fake, exaggerated accent, this time with finger quotes around the ‘N’ word. “I have two brothers. Okay. I’ve thrown you a few nuggets. What about you?”

  “Well,” Lisa began, “I was born in Oak Harbor, actually at Magruder hospital in Port Clinton.”

  “Me too,” Joe interjected. “Sorry, continue please. I’ll try to not interrupt.”

  Lisa giggled again. “I went to school in Oak Harbor all the way through high school. I was supposed to go to Bowling Green State University but my brother got into some big trouble. He was dealing dope, mainly to support his Bob Marley-sized dope habit. Well, he got busted with about fifteen pounds of pot. He was set up but it didn’t really matter. My folks nearly went broke with his legal fees and trying to keep him out of prison. So they couldn’t afford to send me to school. I was so totally pissed that I decided right then and there to get out and do it by myself.”

  Hearing Lisa’s story put a sad look on Joe’s face. He was doing some instantaneous soul searching. This poor but beautiful creature was cheated out of her dream, at least temporarily, by the same business that caused him so much pain and heartache. His family had suffered, and still suffered. He had so much in common with this young woman. But instead of her reaping the benefits of that world as Joe and his brothers had, she was scraping by and struggling through school. Unlike Joe and Pat, her suffering was working her way through school, not planning to get even.

  “Hey, I didn’t mean to bum you out. I’m working on getting back into school. I’m smart and I’m driven. I’ll finish my degree despite my stupid brother.”

  Joe’s smile returned. He looked Lisa straight in the eyes and said, “I believe you. What do you plan to major in?”

  “Criminal Law or Criminal Justice.”

  Uh-oh. Sleeping with the enemy.

  “Maybe business. Then again, maybe architecture. I’m not absolutely sure. I want to get a degree in something that will guarantee lots of income for life. I’m tired of being poor, that’s for sure.”

  “Well, you should scratch Law Enforcement off of your list then. Nobody in Law Enforcement gets rich. It’s the lucky ones on the other side of the fence.”

  “You’re right about that one. My brother got caught but before he did, he was rolling in cash. Not rich by any means, but it made him feel rich. It sure put my folks in the poor house.”

  “Well, you’ll have to get your degree, make a ton of money and help them out. When are you going to enroll? And where?”

  Lisa gave this one a little thought. Her face became tight, a few wrinkles showing at the edges of her eyes as she squinted. “I think that I’ll start this spring. It’s too late to get into the fall quarter and besides I’d have to take out a loan. I really want to pay as I go as much as possible. I’m looking at University of Central Florida. I might go to Valencia though.”

  Joe also gave this some thought. He could pay cash for her school but he couldn’t come out and offer this poor girl thousands of dollars in cash. He just met her, for crying out loud. “Listen,” Joe said with a smile, “it’ll all work out. Trust me. You’ll have your degree in whatever you decide within five years if that’s what you put your mind to. But for now, let’s finish our workout or we’ll never get anything done.”

  “Okay,” came her reply with a big smile that seemed to say, ‘thanks.’

  They spent the next hour working out together. For Joe, it was barely breaking a sweat but he helped Lisa through her routine. He could see why she was in such great shape. She worked hard, but paced herself, not using weights that were too heavy for her, but enough that challenged her as she progressed along in her repetitions. She was working up a sweat, something that Joe could not ignore. He could barely concentrate on keeping count of her exercises as her beautiful, smooth skin glistened. When they’d finished, Joe asked Lisa if she’d like to take a swim. He told her that he normally did about 50 laps in the apartment pool, but if she’d join him, he’d take it easy and only do forty or so. She replied that she could do fifty laps in the time it’d take him to do his forty.

  “Any money on that, young lady?”

  “Sure. But instead, loser pays for dinner tonight.”

  “Now you’re talking. I’ll take that bet.” This is getting interesting. “What’s your preference?”

  “The winner can decide. That way I’ll be sure we won’t go cheap.”

  “Oh boy. Now I’m psyched. You are going down, girl. I hope you ate your Wheaties this morning.”

  “We’ll see who needs to change their breakfast cereal and exercise habits. I’ll meet you at the pool in about 30 minutes, alright? Don’t chicken out on me.”

  “That’s your only chance of winning.”

  With smiles that were like two junior high school kids, they picked up their towels, tossed final glances at each other and headed towards their own apartments. Joe looked over his shoulder no less than six times as he reached the stairs to his apartment and started bounding up the steps. He stopped short when he noticed Pat’s ca
r in the parking lot next to his. This couldn’t be good news, he thought to himself. Pat’s timing really sucked.

  Chapter 25

  Ray Krebs and Johnny Poleirmo were interrogating the crack-house bust jailbirds. They were getting the usual smug responses. It appeared that they would finish their questioning without getting anywhere. The next to last loser was on his third arrest for trafficking in crack cocaine and was destined to return to Stark County Prison for some real time. They decided to put a little extra pressure on this dude just to see if he’d break under intense questioning. Good cop, bad cop. That was the game for the afternoon.

  It didn’t take long. They had a song bird on their hands. It appears that their connection was a white guy from the northeast named Danny Vallero. Unfortunately for Poleirmo and Krebs, Danny Vallero had already been processed by Homicide into the morgue. It had been a long day and Johnny Poleirmo wanted to go home to his wife. She’d been patient with him these past few weeks. Ray was also showing signs of burnout. He and Johnny looked at each other, exchanged tired grins and shook their heads almost in unison.

  Johnny said, “Ray, my man, I’m heading home. I’m bushed and I need a full night of relaxation. Besides, Rachael deserves a little Johnny tonight.”

  “Ray replied, “I know what you mean, man. I’m smoked, too. Head out, I’ve got a couple of reports back at my desk that I have to review and sign. I’ll see you in the morning. Remember to get some rest. I think we’ve got another apartment bust around 6:30 tomorrow morning. It’s going to be a long day.”

  “We should let homicide know what this clown told us about Danny Vallero. Want me to handle it?” Johnny asked.

  “Nope, I got it. Get your ass out of here. You deserve a break. I got you covered.”