A Lifetime of Vengeance

by Pete PJ Grondin

  “Did you see the shooter?”

  “No. We didn’t even hear a shot. All we saw was flash. He shot out the tires on the car. This guy, whoever he is, can shoot. He could’ve killed us, no sweat. I’m convinced that he just wanted to keep us from getting to the McKinney’s. Hell a tire is hard as hell to hit, especially a moving tire. He has some serious hardware, too. This gun let out a triple burst. You could see the separate flashes, but they were quick, real close together. You could hardly see that they were separate bursts. This guy ain’t no novice, boss.”

  “Buddy, do you agree?”

  “Yes sir, Mr. R. This guy is good. Wish he was on our side.”

  “We can try one more time to get the McKinney’s and this shooter on our side. They must have hired him. Why else would he be doing this, and why would he just want to scare you two. If he could have, and he had good reason, you’d be dead, again, right?”

  “Yeah,” was their answer in unison.

  “I think I’m going to give Mr. Pat McKinney a courtesy call.”

  Chapter 45

  Pat and Joe were at Pat and Diane’s house talking in the office with the door closed. They wanted to go over the events of the past week and see if they could make sense of all that had happened. There were too many people shooting around them and not at them. They came to the same conclusion that whoever was doing the shooting was definitely not after them. Joe mentioned that he saw the guy at Trimble Park who was in the trees, but the flashes didn’t come from that direction. They came from a different area of the park, maybe fifty to sixty yards away. It didn’t make sense. It had to be this same mystery guy, though. Who else would get involved in something like this? “Maybe the cops have a new vigilante group, like in that one Dirty Harry movie,” Pat said. “That’s pretty far-fetched, I know, but what other explanation is there?”

  Joe wasn’t buying it. In the Marines they learned that things don’t happen by coincidence. Things are done with a purpose. “We need to lay low for a few days. What do you say we take a trip out of state? Your kids aren’t in school. I’ll see if Lisa can join us for a few days.”

  “I’ve got a better idea, why don’t you take the vacation, and I’ll stay here with Diane and the kids. We can take a shorter trip and go down to see Mom and Dad. They probably could use the company right now. Diane said that Mom called her with the details of Mike’s service.” Joe’s head sank a little. He hadn’t given much thought to Mike’s suicide over the last day. “His ashes will be delivered to Mom and Dad this Friday. They’ll be placed in the mausoleum vault with Julie in Pennsylvania. We need to be there.”

  Joe agreed and said that no matter where he and Lisa went, he would be at the services. “So it’s settled. We’re lying low at least until next Monday. That gives us five days to think this through. Do you have any great ideas?”

  “Yeah, I do. Here’s what I think we should do.”

  For the next half hour, Pat laid out his plan to Joe. Joe nodded his head in approval for the most part. When he’d heard the majority of the plan, Joe reviewed it with Pat and they made some minor changes. Much depended on some outside activities that were beyond their control, but they figured if they could pull this off, it would solve their problems for good.

  It was getting late and Joe still had to drive back to Orlando, so they wrapped up a final review of the plan. Since they were the only ones around to discuss it, if this plan took off on its own, they had to figure that God was the shooter. That was unlikely.

  * * *

  Johnny Poleirmo looked at the receiver like he’d just had a conversation with an alien. He held it for several seconds before returning it to its cradle. He stared at the phone a while longer.

  “Who was that?” Al Porecwzski asked Johnny.

  “You won’t believe this. Some guy just said that there is a dead body at Trimble Park by the boat dock. Said the guy was killed by some guys working for Jason Roberts. I asked him how he knew this and he said he saw it. Said it happened late last night. This whole McKinney/Roberts thing is starting to really stink.” He motioned to Al to come closer and whispered, “This guy said that Roberts is the one who ordered hits on Donnie Lee Lester, Bobby Acquino, Jamie, Bill, and Danny. Oh, and Randy Farley. I asked him what relation they had to Jason Roberts. He says they worked for him. But that they stole a boat load of money from him over the last few months, and he wanted to teach them a lesson. I asked him how he knew all this, and he said he’s inside the organization.”

  Al’s eyes were wide, listening to Johnny walk through the details of what he allegedly knew of Jason Robert’s organization. “Is he supposed to call you back?” Al asked.

  “He says yes. He wants us to check out the facts. Said that a light military infantry gun was used in the hit last night. Said the gun’s in Lake Beauclair about thirty feet offshore by the dock. I guess we can check it out. Trimble’s about forty minutes away. Do we need divers?”

  * * *

  It was an absolutely gruesome find. The body had been a midnight snack for a couple of hungry gators. They’d fought over the remains and there wasn’t much left. This was going to be the Orange County Coroner’s greatest challenge ever. They didn’t know the man’s identity. They only had the word of an anonymous tip. So far, the tip was on the money. They also found the gun where it had been purported to be. So far, the guy was on the level.

  “What do you think?” Al asked Johnny and Rich. “It all fits with what he said. Body was right were he said it would be. Same for the gun. Maybe he’s the trigger man. Maybe he’s got it in for Mr. Roberts. Sure would be nice to find out who the dead guy is, where he’s from, and what business he had here.”

  “Well he couldn’t have been all that good. He got snuffed and eaten. I hope he gave those gators indigestion, because I sure got it after seeing that carcass. Man, they tore him up. Anything on the gun?”

  “We’re just starting to check it out. Standard military issue M16A2 except that it was modified with a silencer. Never fired a round, magazine was full. He came here for business. I wonder who he was gunning for? He came out here loaded for bear but got beat to the punch. Are the crime scene guys here yet?”

  “Yep. They just started. We’re trying to keep everyone out of the park until they get through. They already determined that there were two cars in the park that were really squealing out of here. One had its tires blown out. It looks like they may have been shot out. The other made it out of here without a problem. They found where the guy had been when he took the taps to the head. He was about forty yards from the shelter. They noticed a pattern from where the guy’s brains splattered. They figured out which direction the bullets came from. Found a freshly broken tree limb about seventy yards away from where the victim was squatted down. They also found matted leaves and a little disturbed sand. No shoe prints or anything. The shooter didn’t come into the middle of the park. He apparently had a boat. Who knows where he went from here. He could have accessed miles of shore in the Dora Canal System. Hell, there’s dozens of lakes just within a five mile radius. Plus, he goes 500 yards to the west and he’s in Lake County.”

  Johnny asked Al if he’d contacted the Lake County Sheriffs yet. He nodded yes.

  “Too many killings. The Sheriff is going to want results fast. This is getting too public, and the Sentinel is having a field day. Sales must be up with this much mayhem.”

  “Let’s just hope it ends real soon.” Johnny was not confident that it would, but he knew some things that his new temporary partner didn’t know. Maybe they were closer than they even knew.

  * * *

  The memorial service for Mike McKinney was small and solemn. Only family members were allowed. Mike had few friends left in the world. Mike’s mother was dressed in a black dress and wore a black veil hung low over her face. She’d been crying for some time before the service, but maintained her composure during the service. She’d expected this day would come sooner than later. She knew of Mike’s drinking and th
at he just wasn’t taking care of himself. She also knew he was consumed by grief after losing Julie. Most people get over tragedy over time, but she’d told her husband that Mike would never get over his despair.

  Mike’s maids had sent flowers and a poem about Mike, and what a beautiful person he was inside. It’s too bad that the beautiful person was held prisoner by ugly guards called guilt and remorse. He was deeply in love with his new bride. She was taken from him in the most heinous way at a time when their lives should have been the most joyous. The feeling that he should have been there to protect her never left him. When he died, he had less than $120,000 left of a significant fortune. When he got to Vegas, he started to gamble to hide his sorrow, but he stopped that when he’d get so drunk at the dollar slots that he‘d pass out and fall off of the stool. He was not welcome in most casinos, so ended up staying home to drink most of the time.

  He left the remainder of his money to his maids who took care of him for years. They approached his mom and dad to try to return the money, but they would hear none of it. Mike’s parents assured them that Mike would want his caretakers to have the money. They were grateful and assured them that they would take care of readying the house for sale. Mike’s parents were very gracious in return.

  The service ended. The funeral home took charge of Mike’s ashes and assured the family that they were in good hands. The ashes would be shipped to Julie’s parent’s home in Pennsylvania to a local funeral home. They would then be placed in the mausoleum with Julie’s remains. They would be joined again, this time for eternity.

  Pat and Joe said their goodbyes to their parents. The afternoon clouds were starting to gather in preparation for the daily shower. It had been a bright, sunny day until the last half hour. It seemed appropriate that some amount of gloomy weather would move in. But, like the clouds of the Florida afternoon, these dark clouds of Mike’s death would pass. Joe spoke to Pat as they got into Pat’s Taurus, “Finally Mike’s in peace. I wish there’d been a way we could have helped him.”

  “We had a plan, Joe. We tried to do what we thought was right. Even if we’d have succeeded, I’m not sure that it would have helped. I’m not sure we’d feel any more satisfaction than we feel right now.” He paused and looked around the church parking lot. “We can’t dwell on this. We have work to do. Tomorrow, we’ve got a house call. Are you ready?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  They drove back to Orlando in silence. Joe fell asleep while Pat drove.

  Oh yeah, Pat thought to himself. We’re not through yet.

  Chapter 46

  Brian Purcer and the Hot Licks’ fifth day in the studio was by far their most productive. They’d completed recording nine of the eleven tracks slated for their first album. They had two more to finish tomorrow and then they’d break for a day or two. Two sound engineers would review the tracks to see where overdubs were necessary. The studio owner and lead sound engineer told Brian that there wouldn’t be much overdubbing. His gut feeling was that they could get away with minimal changes, and that they should only need to add a few lead guitar spots. The rest would be ready for mass production. The band’s agent had already called asking how the studio work was going and was pleased to hear about the band’s progress. Some bands that are great on stage suck in the studio. Other bands adapt well to the studio, but perform terribly live. Brian and his gang seemed to do well in both venues. That should turn this band’s future into a prosperous one.

  Steve Foreman, Brian, Rick, and the other band members were in the lounge area in the studio. The room was sound-proofed so that the noise from the studio area was muffled and not annoying. That was important now, because a loud, horrible sounding band was in studio number two. They sucked but the lead singer’s daddy was paying the bill, so they let them record whatever they wanted. Steve was thirty-four years old and had owned the studio since he was twenty-two. He had long, light brown hair and light blue eyes. He played a number of instruments and on occasion played back up for bands that needed a bass player or rhythm guitar. He’d even tried back-up vocals one time, but the band decided that it didn’t work for their piece. He never tried that again. Steve got several beers out of the refrigerator, since they were done for the day. They each popped the tops, clinked necks together, and took a long pull.

  “You guys should be on tour in less than a month. Are you ready for this?” Steve asked Brian and Rick. “You know, once you start on the road, there are few breaks. It’s a money train, but it can be grueling. One thing for sure, you won’t have any competition from those guys.” He made a gesture at the wall towards the other studio.

  “God, I hope we don’t sound that bad. I guess we’re as ready as we’re ever gonna be, man. We’ve got the energy. I just hope we can keep it up.” Brian said. “Steve, give it to me straight. How do we sound compared to other bands you’ve produced?”

  “I’m not going to lie to you. You’ve got about the best tunes that I’ve heard in a long time. I’ve had a lot of good bands in here. You guys are right there at the top. Don’t let it go to your head, man. As fast as it comes, it can go faster. My advice is ride the wave while it’s cresting. Your wave is cresting right now. It could stay for a long time or it could fizzle. Either way, don’t sweat it. You’re going be rich. What you do with it, that’s up to you.”

  “Thanks, man. You’ve been a great coach for us.”

  “It doesn’t matter if you’re a great coach, if you haven’t got the players. You guys are the players.”

  “Hey guys, I’ve got to hit the road. I’m picking up Ginny in about thirty-five minutes. We’re going to grab a light bite to eat and turn in early. We have to be back here at what time?”

  “8:00 AM and be fresh. Don’t be up all night. I know you rock stars think you’ll live forever, but you get old fast.” Steve pointed a finger at the band members.

  “Yes, Mom,” came the sarcastic chorus in near unison.

  Steve just shook his head and went back to the control counsel for studio number two.

  * * *

  Pat was up at 5:30 drinking coffee and eating Frosted Flakes, his favorite breakfast cereal. He sat at Joe’s counter reading the previous day’s sports section about the Florida Marlins and the start of the Buccaneer’s pre-season. As usual, there was some speculation that the Bucs would have a decent team and there were the usual outspoken critics saying that they’d screw it up yet another year.

  Pat heard the door to Joe’s room open and light footsteps went into the bathroom. Lisa had spent the night and was just using the facilities. She and Joe were getting serious. She’d spent the evening even with Pat in the other bedroom. Joe really appeared to be falling hard for her. They got along so well and shared so many interests. He envied Joe that. He and Diane loved each other deeply, but they really had very little in common. Pat liked sports. Diane was more of a home body, enjoying making crafts and changing the home décor almost as often as the changing seasons. But they were a good match. Life with each other was never boring. Pat hoped and prayed that his remaining brother would find peace and happiness with the right soul mate. It appeared that Lisa might just be the one.

  While Lisa was still in the bathroom, Joe strolled into the kitchen in his boxers. “Why are you up so early? You need your rest.”

  “I couldn’t sleep any longer. I was thinking about you and Lisa.”

  “You pervert.”

  “No you dork. I was thinking that you should make sure that you never let her out of your sight. She’s a real doll. Protect her.”

  “Pat, just because bad things happened to Mike, doesn’t mean . . .” Joe stopped and thought to himself, then continued, “You need to take care of your family, too. Maybe you should have gone home last night. Have you called Diane since the service?”

  “Yeah. I called her last night. She’s fine. She said that she keeps the doors locked and the alarm on, but she feels better now that all these bastards are dead. Her words, not mine.”

  “We’ll s
ee what today brings. I’m headed back to bed. We’ve got a few hours before we need to hit the road. You should, too.”

  “I’m going to finish breakfast and go down for an early swim. Then I’m going to call Diane.” Pat said.

  “See you in a couple hours.”

  The door to the bathroom opened and Lisa’s footsteps could be heard heading back to Joe’s room. Lucky Bastard, Pat thought to himself.

  * * *

  Brian and Ginny did go to bed early, and they did get to sleep early, but not before they made love for over an hour. They were passionately in love now. Brian was concerned that things were going too fast in both his career and his love life, but he couldn’t stop either now. So at 7:50 in the morning from the studio he called his friend, Pat McKinney, to talk about money and love and music. Diane told him that Pat wasn’t there and that he didn’t come home last night. Brian quickly asked Diane if their problems had surfaced again, and she just as quickly put his fears to rest. He’d just come back from Mike’s funeral service down in Ft. Myers and rather than drive home, he stayed with Joe overnight. Brian grimaced when he heard Diane mention Mike’s service. Pat had called with the news about Mike the day before. It was truly a sad story. Brian had forgotten to tell Ginny about Mike. He’d tell her tonight for certain. Steve called to Brian, “We’re ready for you. I want you to listen to these first three songs before we start to record the first take on the new track. I think we need to add some lead guitar . . . .

  * * *

  Jason Roberts was also up early. He didn’t sleep much at all. He had a hooker over for the night and at $1500 per night, she was supposed to relieve him of all his worries. It didn’t work. The sex was great, but he still had big problems with business. He needed replacements for his lost team and he needed them fast. He drank coffee and tried to figure out what to eat for breakfast.

  “Do you like pancakes?” Sheila asked from behind him. It surprised him to hear her voice. He figured that she was still in bed.