The Logan Files - Pain Center: The Logan Files

by Marshall Huffman

  “That’s a crock. Hanson said she had been there. Hell she was a member. That doesn’t prove a thing.”

  “You see? That’s the problem. You have all the answers. You said when we first met that I was a legend. You knew all about me. You don’t know a damn thing about me. You only know what you’ve read and has been exaggerated. You want to be a great cop? Get off your high-horse and learn,” Logan said.

  “Let’s say you’re right. That’s all we got and that ain’t much.”

  “It’s more than we had. Actually he did learn something else. We now know you can buy that equipment online. You don’t have to make it yourself. It is a lot easier.”

  “So?”

  “So, why would you spend hours making something you can just buy?”

  “Maybe you just like working with wood. There are people like that you know? Anyway, Harold would have found that out on the web.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Look, I’m hungry. Can we change the subject and get something to eat.”

  “I know just the place,” Logan said.

  CHAPTER TWENTY- SEVEN

  They had just finished eating when Logan’s cell phone rang.

  “Logan.”

  “You need to come back to the station,” Sorenson said.

  “What’s up?”

  “Allen Boneing. He lawyered-up.”

  “What happened?” Logan said.

  “His old man is a lawyer.”

  “Oh crap. I’ll be right there,” he said.

  “What’s up?” Miles asked.

  “Boneing’s dad is a lawyer.”

  “How nice.”

  It took them half an hour to get to the station. The roads were mostly clear of snow but people were still being cautions.

  “Where are they?” Logan asked when they got to the station.

  “Room two.”

  “Want me to come along?” Miles asked.

  Logan stopped and looked at him.

  “Yeah, if you can just listen and keep your mouth shut. If you can’t do that, just watch through the glass.”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  Logan entered with Miles and walked over the attorney.

  “You must be Mr. Boneing. Nice to meet you.”

  “My name is Dullard. Allen is my stepson.”

  “Alright Mr. Dullard. Why did you feel it was necessary to represent Allen? He hasn’t been charged with anything. We only wanted to ask a few questions to help eliminate him as a suspect.”

  “Sure you did. Just doing your due diligence, I’m sure,” he said.

  “That’s right. Do you know why Allen is here?”

  “He told me you came to talk to him about some girl he knew. He said you smacked him around.”

  “Mr. Dullard, do I look like the kind of person who would smack someone around, especially a nice clean cut boy like Allen? The girl has a name by the way. Donna Landers. He shacked up with her from time to time. Did he happen to mention that he liked to tie her up and take pictures of her?”

  “That’s a load of crap,” Allen said.

  He was sitting in the chair with his legs stretched out and his hands in his pockets. His shirt was open and he had a bored expression on his face. Logan took the pictures from his pocket and tossed them on the table. Dullard picked them up and started looking through them.

  “Did you take these?”

  “So what if I did? She wanted me to,” he said to his stepfather in his usual surly manner.

  “This is Donna?”

  “Yeah, I guess,” he said.

  “You guess? Is it or isn’t it?”

  “Yeah,” Allen finally said.

  “Allen had a fight with Donna a few days before she disappeared.”

  “Who told you that crap?” Allen said, sitting up.

  “Her roommate,” Logan said.

  “She’s a freak. Totally spaced out. She doesn’t know her ass from a hole in the ground,” Allen said, standing up.

  “Sit down,” both Dullard and Logan said simultaneously.

  He looked at both of them hatefully and sat back down, sprawling out again.

  “Is Detective right? Did you have an argument with this girl?” Dullard said.

  “We had a few words. No big deal,” Allen said.

  “What about?” Logan asked.

  “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be representing me? Telling them I don’t have to answer them?” Allen said.

  “What about?” Dullard asked.

  “Man. Some help you are.”

  “What about,” he asked again.

  “She wanted me to go to some stupid club. I didn’t want to go. We argued, end of story. Okay?”

  “Did it get physical?” Logan asked.

  “I may have shook her a little but I didn’t hit her,” he said.

  Dullard looked at Logan and said, “Are you going to charge him?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. If there was a law against being a smartass I would probably try to get the chair for him,” Logan said.

  Dullard smiled and said, “I’ll take that as a no.”

  “We’ll cut him free but we may want to talk to him again if other items turn up.”

  “I understand. Come on Allen, let’s go before you open your big mouth again.”

  “Crap,” Allen muttered and shuffled out the door.

  “Nice kid,” Logan said as Dullard passed.

  “Not mine. His mother is as sweet as pie. His old man is in prison in Alabama.”

  “He may be joining him with that attitude.”

  “There is every possibility of that,” he said and shook Logan’s hand.

  After they left Miles came in and said, “How in the hell did you do that? He is a lawyer and yet he didn’t act like one.”

  “That’s because I took his aggression away right from the start.”

  “How?”

  “See? You can learn something new. All I really did was make sure I talked directly to him. I ignored the kid. It made him feel important and in charge of the situation. I gave him the pictures so he could see what he was up against. After that he was curious and wanted to know what was going on. I knew the kid wasn’t going to tell him anything so he was unprepared. I just took advantage of that. I let him get it out of the kid.”

  “Damned slick. How did you know about the argument? I didn’t read anything about that in the report,” Miles said.

  “I didn’t know for sure. I just went fishing. Threw the lure in and he took it.”

  “Son of a bitch,” was all Miles said, shaking his head in amazement.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Mildred hated walking the dog on such cold mornings. The housekeeper wasn’t able to make it in today so she was relegated to walking Baby.

  “Come on Baby, go make potty for mommy,” she said as they walked along the snow covered path.

  “Come on, go for Mommy.”

  Baby was not the least bit interested in what his owner was saying. He was straining at the leash, trying to pull her off the path.

  “No. Mommy doesn’t want to go back there. Now Baby, just go potty for mommy,” she pleaded.

  A man walking down the path muttered, “If that’s your baby, it’s one ugly kid.”

  She made a face at him as he walked by.

  “Don’t pay any attention to him Baby. You’re my beautiful boy. Now go potty for me,” she said.

  Baby was barking and pulling at the leash.

  “Stop it. Stop it right now,” she scolded, like the dog could understand or cared.

  He kept leaping, trying to go into the woods at the edge of the park.

  “Stop it,” she yelled at Baby and he leaped again.

  She momentarily lost her grip on the leash and Baby took off into the woods.

  “No Baby, you come right back here! Do you hear me?” she yelled.

  She stood at the edge of the woods and continued to call but Baby was having none of it. She could hear him continuing to bark
.

  “Baby, Mommy is going to spank you if you don’t get back here this instant,” she yelled.

  An older couple holding hands strolled by, looked at her and then looked at each other and giggled. She didn’t care. Baby was being bad and she wanted him to come back. Finally she took a hesitant step into the snow. She cringed as her fur topped boots brushed the show. She carefully took one step after the other, going deeper in the wooded area. She could see Baby barking and digging at something on the ground.

  “Come on Baby, we need to go back now. Please, come on,” she said trying to lure him out of the woods.

  He paid no attention. She went on in deeper and got ready to grab his leash. That’s when she started to scream. She wasn’t sure how long she screamed. Suddenly two men rushed in.

  “What’s the matter lady,” one asked.

  She just pointed.

  “Oh heavens. Get her out of here. Do you have a cell phone?”

  “I do.”

  “Take her back to the sidewalk and call 911. I’ll get the mutt,” he said.

  “Baby. His name is Baby,” she told him.

  “Fine, I’ll get Baby,” he replied.

  He looked around and carefully walked over and picked up the leash. Baby didn’t want to leave but he gave the leash a jerk, almost lifting the dog off his feet. He followed along after that.

  * * *

  When Logan and Miles slid to a stop, six police cars were lined up around the park. He got out and walked to the patrol man standing at the entrance.

  “Who was first on the scene?”

  “That would be me, Robert Ortega.”

  “Okay Robert. Get some men and secure this entire area. No one in. Got it?”

  “Already being done. They are already working back there,” he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

  “Good. Who found the body?”

  “Some old lady walking her dog,” he said, opening his notepad, “Name’s, Mildred Cushman.”

  “The Cushman’s?” Logan asked, raising his eyebrows.

  “I guess,” he shrugged.

  “Who are the Cushman’s?” Miles asked.

  “They own half of the parking lots in the City. Connected. Very heavy hitters.”

  “We need to get to her before she calls her lawyer. Once that happens we will have to make an appointment to see her,” Logan said, “Where is she?” he asked the patrolman.

  “In Russell’s squad car,” he said pointing it out.

  “Thanks. Nice job,” Logan said, patting him on the arm.

  They located the car and Logan climbed in the back with Mrs. Cushman.

  “I’m Detective Logan. This is my partner, Detective Miles. You don’t remember me I’m sure but we have met a couple of times.”

  “Of course I remember you detective. I’m old, not senile,” she said.

  “Sorry. Can you tell me what happened? How you happened to be back in the woods?”

  “Baby. My Baby got loose and I had to go get her. Just as I bent down to get her leash, I saw that awful hand sticking out. The fingers were held out like a beggar. It was terrible.”

  “I’m sure it was. Did you see anything else?”

  “Just Baby digging and that hand.”

  “No one else while you were going back there?”

  “I saw a rude man on the sidewalk and a couple holding hands. No one in the woods,” she said.

  “Did you see anyone rushing out of the park as you entered?”

  “I don’t know really. I was trying to get Baby to behave. I don’t understand his actions today. He has been to the very best schools and then today he acted like a common street mutt. I honestly don’t understand.”

  “It happens with the best of them,” Logan sympathized.

  “You’re talking about a dog aren’t you?” Miles asked.

  Mrs. Cushman shot him an angry look but didn’t say anything.

  “See what I mean?” Logan said quickly.

  “Apparently so,” she said, “Now I really would like to get Baby and go home. This has been most stressful.”

  “Certainly. If you think of anything else, please call me at the station,” Logan said.

  “I would be more than happy to. Now if you will excuse me,” she said, reaching for the door handle.

  “Why don’t I have someone walk you home,” he said looking at Miles.

  Miles shook his head, silently pleading.

  “That would be very nice as long as they aren’t in uniform. It would send the gossips into a tizzy,” she said.

  “Detective Miles would be more than happy to escort you home; wouldn’t you detective?”

  “Most assuredly,” he said, glaring at Logan.

  Logan waved as Miles took her arm and started off. Miles put his hand behind his back and gave Logan the finger. Logan just smiled.

  Logan walked back in the wooded area until he came to where the tracks ended. He could see where the dog had been digging. The body was in the usual position, propped against a tree. The guy seemed to have a thing for propping them up. He did his usual routine of looking every inch of the crime scene over. He heard someone coming up behind him. He didn’t turn around. It had to be Myler or Miles.

  “We gotta stop meeting like this,” the voice said.

  Myler.

  “People will say we are in love,” Logan answered on cue.

  “Screw ‘em. Well, it looks like we have another one.”

  “Looks like. We may get lucky on this one. Look,” Logan said, pointing to some tracks leading off in the other direction.

  “It’s about time. I was beginning to think this pervert could fly.”

  “He left tracks this time. When did it stop snowing?” Logan asked.

  “Late yesterday.”

  “So no snow to cover up his trail,” Logan commented.

  “How did he get the body covered?”

  Logan pointed to the pine tree branches above the body. They were the only ones without snow.

  “Clever bastard,” Myler said.

  “Let’s take a look,” Logan said.

  All they had to do was scrape the snow off the head and it was obvious that it was the same perp.

  “Whoa, a guy,” Myler said.

  “An equal opportunity killer. How nice,” Logan replied.

  “Call in CSI, maybe they can get something from those prints,” Myler said.

  “Gosh, I should have thought of that,” Logan replied dialing on his cell phone.

  “Always glad to help.”

  Miles came up just as Logan hung up.

  “Well, that was refreshing. I wanted to strangle that stupid mutt.”

  “Baby? He’s such a good doggie.”

  “Well at least she tipped me,” he said smiling

  “No way.”

  “Way,” Miles said holding a twenty between his thumb and finger.

  “I can’t believe you would actually take it. That’s low man,” Logan said, shaking his head.

  “Hey, you’re the one that volunteered me.”

  “Myler, have you met Detective Brandon Miles, gold digger?”

  “Sounds more like a gigolo to me. Hi ya Miles and way to go kid. I’d have taken it from the old biddy too.”

  “Hi Doc. Nice to meet you.”

  “Lord, don’t encourage him Myler. Oh, and by the way, Myler isn’t a doctor. He used to be a butcher before he took over as the ME. Used to work in the Chicago stock yards from what I hear,” Logan said.

  “I can’t wait to get your smart ass on the slab someday. I’m going to use a dull saw blade,” Myler shot back.

  “You two get along nicely,” Miles commented.

  As they were headed back to the car Logan saw Carrie talking to one of the officers. He nodded and she smiled briefly.

  “Who’s that?” Miles asked.

  “Reporter.”

  “Not bad looking. You know her well?”

  “We’ve met a few times,” Logan replied.

/>   Something in the way he said it made Miles look at him suspiciously.

  “What? In the line of work,” Logan said.

  Miles just nodded.

  When Logan and Miles got back to the office the others were waiting to hear what they had found.

  “Same MO but a guy this time.”

  “No kidding?” Carson said.

  “Nope. Myler is doing the work up but it will be the same. This guy had the same type holes drilled in the top of his skull,” Logan informed them.

  “So now we have three. I wonder why he drops them off where they can be found so easily? I mean, what’s the deal with that?” Harold asked.

  “Because he is a nut,” Miles said.

  “It’s more than that. He is challenging us. He thinks he is so much smarter that he can drop them off right under our noses and get away with it,” Logan told them.

  “So far he is doing a pretty good job,” Miles said.

  “Yes and all we have are the bodies that tell us nothing and now a few pictures of footprints taken by CSI.”

  “Sure ain’t much to go on,” Sorenson said.

  “Harold, what did you come up with?” Logan asked.

  “You’re not gonna like it. You can buy those saws on the internet. I found over fifty sites before I quit looking. As for acupuncture needles, seems like everyone but the police sells them. You don’t need a damn thing to buy them.”

  “What about around here?”

  “Nine places sell the saws and fifty-seven sell the needles.”

  “No kidding? Fifty-seven? Is there that big a demand for those things?” Miles asked.

  “Must be,” Harold replied.

  “How much are the saws?” Logan asked.

  “Everything from a few hundred to several thousand depending on the grade and how many bells and whistles you want on it,” Harold told him.

  “Okay. Tomorrow, first thing, I want us to split up and each take a store that sells the saws locally. He may have gotten it on the internet but I don’t want to take the chance that we overlooked something being lazy,” Logan said.

  “So what are we really looking for? We have no description to go on,” Miles said.

  “No, but we can get the records of who they sold them to locally and then start tracking the buyers down. If they are going to a legitimate place of business we can come back to those later. If it was to just some bozo off the street we can zero in on them,” Logan said.