“John,” says Chief Green, “the suspect was killed by Liam, with two shots to the head and two to the torso. Deputy Superintendent Finnegan also told me that Liam had shot, and killed, four potential homicide suspects during the course of his career. He said the last shooting O’Connor was involved in, he was hurt pretty bad. He thought O’Connor lost his spleen and several ribs, along with parts of his intestines and stomach. He said the department was prepared to medically retire Liam, but after several long months of rehabilitation, along with a clean bill of health from the department's psychologist, he returned to work.”
“O'Connor received three medals of valor awards, but also received days on the hook without pay,” says Chief Green.
“What do you mean, ‘days on the hook’?” asks Officer Youngblood.
“What he means is O’Connor got suspended several times. But for what?” asks Tibedoe.
Chief Green says, “The shootings were ruled outside of department policy, as Liam was found to have fired more than the recommended shots into the head of all the suspects.”
“So let me get this straight,” says Tibedoe. “The Boston Police Department was praising O’Connor for his outstanding work on the one hand, and then disciplining him with suspension days on the other.”
“Yep, that's right,” says Chief Green. “Finnegan said there were many in the command structure that didn't like the public and media attention O’Connor brought to the department. Apparently O’Connor had a dislike for most of the command staff of the Boston Police Department.”
“Chief, Mrs. O’Connor told us her son never had an unsolved homicide case,” says Tibedoe.
“Well, Deputy Superintendent Finnegan said that during Liam's time as a lead homicide detective, that was correct. In fact, he remembered the Chief Commissioner and command staff brought that little-known fact out for the media from time to time. He said it got to be quite the dog and pony show. John, Finnegan told me one last thing. He said Liam had requested a special assignment to the FBI academy. The FBI had asked if Liam could be used as an instructor at their national academy. They wanted him to teach a class on interview and interrogation techniques, but the department wouldn't loan him out for a year as requested,” says Chief Green. “It's likely this guy has been miles ahead of you on this entire investigation.”
“Well if that's so, Chief, maybe he'll do our work for us!”
“Yeah, you're right, but how many bodies are we going to have to pick up along the way?”
“Lieutenant Tibedoe,” Officer Youngblood says. “I wrote down several names of medications I located in the bathroom of O’Connor's place last night, but I've not heard of any of them.”
“Why did you do that?” asks Tibedoe.
“Well, sir, there was a bottle of medication near the sink, and I went to put it up when I noticed all the rest of the medication with his name on it. I thought there was a lot of medication for just one person, so I wrote them all down,” says Youngblood. Chief Green looks at John in a surprised way.
“Good,” says Tibedoe. “I'll call Doc Hill. He'll know what the medications are used for.”
“I thought,” says Youngblood, “that O'Connor's place was so neat and organized, and to have a bottle out on the bathroom counter seemed almost out of place. That's what drew my attention to it. I know that seems kinda stupid,” says Youngblood.
“No it doesn't,” says Chief Green, “that is what we call developing your cop instincts. It appears to me, Officer Youngblood, you've got good instincts when it comes to investigations. You keep up the good work.”
“Thank you, sir,” replies Youngblood.
The phone rings at Mrs. O’Connor's room at the Carriage House.
“Mama, it's Liam.”
“Hello, Liam. The police were here earlier today,” says Mrs. O’Connor.
“I thought so,” says Liam.
“Are you okay, son?”
“I'm fine, Mama. I guess they told you what happened?” asks Liam.
“Yes!” answers Mrs. O'Connor.
“I've got to figure this out, but until then, I want you to stay at the facility. I'll keep in touch, Mama,” says Liam.
“Son, what about Molley?”
“She doesn't need to know anything about this. No need to tell her anything right now, Mama. What could I tell her? I'm going to call T.J. and see if he can help me,” says Liam.
“Oh, you tell T.J. I miss him, and he needs to come and see me soon,” says Mrs. O’Connor.
“You tell T.J. I'll cook him his favorite meal if he comes to see me.”
“Chocolate cake too?” asks Liam.
“Cake too,” replies Mrs. O'Connor.
“Goodbye, Mama.”
Liam hangs the phone up and says to himself, “Chocolate cake is my favorite, not T.J.’s.”
Chapter 3
DUTY, HONOR, FAMILY
LIAM DIALS THE PHONE NUMBER of his closest living friend, Tyrone Johnson O'Leary.
“Hello,” answers T.J.
“Is this Mr. Tee-rone Johnson O'Leary, the famed athlete of BHS?” asks Liam.
“Liam, it's so good to hear your voice. How are you doing?”
“I'm fine,” says Liam. “It's good to hear your voice too, T.J. I hate to call and bother you, but I need your help on something.”
“What is it, my brother from another mother?” asks T.J. “What do you need?”
“T.J., last night I had a couple of visitors try and kill me. I didn't recognize either of these dung-heads, but I thought that if I sent you a couple pictures of these guys along with some pictures of tattoos from their arms, you might be able to run the info through the criminal database and identify them,” says Liam.
“Liam, what's going on?” says T.J.
“I don't know, T.J., why would anybody need to get to me now? I haven't been with the department for almost a year now. T.J.,” Liam pauses, “they came for a reason. I'm sure it has something to do with Boston,” says Liam. “Can you help me without getting in trouble? I'll e-mail the photos I took with my cell phone. The local coroner here in Port Saint Lucie will probably attempt to identify these guys through their prints through the Department of Justice. I'll bet they have prints on file, either with the Department of Justice or the Department of Defense,” says Liam.
“Do you think they were ex-military?” asks T.J.
“One had some military type tats on his upper arms,” replies Liam.
“Liam, if they're in a system, I'll find out who they are.”
“T.J., don't let anybody know that you've talked to me. I don't have an idea yet where this is going to lead me. For now you're safe, and I want to keep it that way. Your e-mail is still the same, right?” asks Liam.
“Yes, it's still outside the department on a private server,” says T.J.
“Will you be the only one that has access to it? I don't want to drag your wife into this shit too! She'd have my ass if she knew I was getting you involved in my shit again,” says Liam.
“Liam, send it to me now. It will be fine,” says T.J.
“Okay.” Liam sends the photos via e-mail.
“I'll let you know something as soon as possible,” says T.J.
“Okay … I owe you one, again. Call me back on this phone number. It's clean.”
Liam ends the phone call with T.J. and thinks to himself, I don't want to get T.J. involved in my mess.
Liam has always looked upon T.J. as another brother. He remembers how he first met Tyrone Johnson O'Leary. A freshman at Brighton High School in Boston. Both trying out for the football team, Liam as a linebacker and T.J. as a running-back. It wasn't long before they were the best of friends, even though they were from very different backgrounds. Liam, a white Irish Catholic from the South Boston area whose father was a Boston cop, and T.J., who lived with his grandmother and mother who had been in and out of jail for drug-related charges his entire life. T.J. had never known his father, but had dealt with many men who had come and gone. During
T.J.’s freshman year in high school, his grandmother passed away. His mother was serving time for drugs and prostitution charges, and he found himself alone. Liam brought T.J. home to stay, and without a thought, Liam's mother and father took Tyrone Johnson O'Leary into their home and told him he could stay as long as he wanted.
Joseph O’Connor believed in never looking down on another man, unless you were helping him up. His service in the Korean War had profoundly changed his views of people. Joseph O'Connor was saved many times in the war by soldiers of color. His view of racism became clear early in life. He judged an individual's worth by their actions, not the actions of others of similar color. Tyrone Johnson O'Leary came to live with the O'Connors his freshman year in high school, and left to join the Marine Corps six years later.
At the Port Saint Lucie Police Station, Lieutenant Tibedoe is on the phone saying, “That's interesting. Are you sure those drugs and the daily doses would only be prescribed for that, Doc? Okay, thank you, Doc.”
Lieutenant Tibedoe hangs the phone up, turns to Officer Youngblood and says, “Those drugs you wrote down in O'Connor's place? Dialect, Depraved, Symmetry, and Enshrinement. The doc says those drugs are prescribed for someone in the early stages of Parkinson's disease.
Those drugs are supposed to control tremors in the extremities. So it appears our man Liam has Parkinson's disease, but it's in the early stage.” He looks to Officer Youngblood. “Has anyone heard from Anthony?” he yells as he looks around the detective division for a response. “I'm going to call him. Have they got our guys identified yet? I mean, I know how they died, shit!”
Several hours pass before the phone rings at Liam's home.
“T.J., is that you?” asks Liam.
“Yeah, it's me. I've got some information on those two guys. I was able to identify them from their photos and tats. You were right, Liam, the dark-haired subject had several military tattoos on both of his upper arms. The Department of Defense has identified him as Daniel Scott Shea. Shea was 32 years old and did six years in the Army,” says T.J. “Liam, he did three tours in Iraq and one in Kosovo as an ammunitions specialist. He was honorably discharged three years ago out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.”
“Has he had any arrests since his discharge?” asks Liam.
T.J. pauses and states, “Yeah, he's been arrested on misdemeanor assault charges several times over the last two years, but never convicted. He's out of Charlestown, Massachusetts. He's a townie, Liam,” says T.J. “Yep, that's right!”
“I know the Sheas out of Charlestown had connections with the Irish mob, but I don't think I ever had a case involving a Shea family member,” says Liam. “T.J., who is the other guy, the lighter complexioned guy?”
“His name is Bobby Dale Pentacost. He has an arrest record a mile long. Everything from possession of drugs to assault with a deadly weapon,” says T.J. “He was on parole for weapons violations out of West Virginia.”
“Did you say Pentacost?” asks Liam.
“Yeah, that's right. Bobby Dale Pentacost, twenty-nine years old.”
“Shit!” says Liam. “Is there any listed family on his arrest and booking information...anything?”
“Do you know this guy, Liam? Did you arrest him or something?” asks T.J. “He lists his mother as Connie Pentacost, last address listed on his arrest information was in Wheeling, West Virginia. “Do you know Pentacost?”
“I think in 1990 or 1991, I worked a homicide involving some brothers with the last name of Pentacost. I'll have to check my murder books again,” says Liam.
“You still have copies of all your cases?” asks T.J.
“I have a copy of every case I ever worked as a detective. Even some I worked as a lieutenant,” says Liam.
“Don't get yourself in trouble accessing the computers from the Department of Defense. If an audit is done, you need to cover your ass. T.J. ... you could contact Pentacost's parole agent and inform him of Bobby Dale's death. That way if you're questioned, you could say you were assisting another department. That may work.”
“Liam, you let me worry about that. If this leads you back to Boston, remember, I've got your back,” says T.J.
“Thanks for sticking your neck out for me, brother. I've got to go. I'll keep you up to date with whats' going on if I can. Bye,” says Liam.
d
“Tony, this is John. Have you got anything for me yet? You've been over there for the last four hours. Has Doc Hill identified them yet?” asks Tibedoe over the phone. Then he explains to the chief what Molina is telling him over the phone. “Tony's got them both identified. The light complexioned one is a parolee out of West Virginia named Bobby Dale Pentacost, and the other is Daniel Scott Shea, last known address out of Charlestown, Massachusetts.”
“John, Doc Hill said that Charlestown is a suburb of Boston. I think you and the chief were right. This is some past baggage of O’Connor’s,” says Molina.
“Sounds about right,” says Tibedoe. “We'll brief the chief when you finish and get back to the office, and we'll see where we go from here.” He hangs up the phone. “With Tony's identification of the two dead guys, there appears to be a link back to Boston,” he says to Officer Youngblood. “Tony's wrapping things up at the coroner’s office and will be back in the office in about an hour. I'll brief the chief in on our current status of the case and see what, if anything, he wants us to do.”
“You mean he might tell us to stop investigating...just stop?” asks Youngblood.
“Well, Tina, the case appears to be that of justifiable homicide. I mean, I'm sure he'll want me to talk it over with the district attorney, but O’Connor was in his total rights to defend himself inside his own home. I can't see where O’Connor did anything wrong,” says Tibedoe.
“Don't you think he could be in danger?” asks Youngblood.
“Yes I do, Tina, and I think O’Connor knows that too. He's more than capable of handling himself, and I have no doubt he'll seek out those responsible.”
Chapter 4
HANK'S PLACE
LIAM LEAVES HIS CONDO, taking Sandy with him. He lifts Sandy up and places her into the back seat of his 1979 Toyota Land Cruiser wagon, a vehicle bought new by his father and kept in Liam's possession since his death in 2012. Liam removes the back floor panel and retrieves a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun and several sixteen-round magazines from a hidden compartment underneath the back seat.
“Sandy, it's back to work for us, old girl! Let's go see Henry,” says Liam.
He places the gun and magazines in the glove box and calls Sandy to sit up front in the passenger seat.
“Okay, Sandy, let's go,” says Liam.
They travel to a storage facility in downtown Port Saint Lucie called Hank Swank's Storage Rentals. They stop at the office, and Liam lets Sandy out of the passenger side.
“That's one butt-ugly vehicle you got there, Liam,” says Henry, who meets them at the front door of the office. “I see you brought Sandy with you today!” Sandy begins to growl at Henry. “Are you here on business or just a family visit?” asks Henry.
“No, sir,” says Liam, “I'm here to pick up some files from my storage unit.”
“I talked to your mother earlier in the day. She told me you had some visitors at your place last night. I guess everything worked out fine, but she's pretty worried.”
“Uncle Henry, I need to find out why someone would want me dead. Until I do, being here puts you all in danger, and I can't have that. Henry, I'm going to my unit to get some things. It would be best if you stayed here,” says Liam.
“Please take Sandy with you. She just sits and growls at me. I just don't understand, after all these years. You'd think we'd be friends by now,” says Henry.
“Well, Henry, that dog is a good judge of character. Or in your case, lack of character,” laughs Liam.
“Get up here, Sandy,” he says as he opens the front passenger door.
“Henry, you're right. The Cruiser is an ugly tank, but
she gets me around. And besides, this old wagon and I have shared a lot of fond memories,” says Liam.
Liam and Sandy drive through the storage facility and finally reach his unit, which is located on the second floor. He obtained this unit from his Uncle Henry after the death of Kelley. He uses the unit as a sanctuary of sorts, a refuge to see and feel items of Kelley's. This somehow soothes his pain. Liam has been to the unit every week since his arrival in Port Saint Lucie, and with every visit he leaves in tears.
“Okay, Sandy, this is it! Let's go, girl,” says Liam.
Sandy jumps down from the Cruiser and gets into the elevator with Liam. The elevator stops on the second floor, and Sandy and Liam start to walk toward the storage unit.
“Sandy, this is a business trip. I promise no tears this time,” says Liam.
Yet when he opens the door and starts to look at Kelley's personal belongings, her clothes, her favorite furniture, and smells the perfume off her clothes, he begins to tear up. He looks over at Sandy and notices she is staring at him.
“What...?” he says, looking at Sandy. “It's this damn medication I'm taking.”
He makes his way to an area where there are several file cabinets. He opens the cabinets and begins to look through copies of his past investigations. Copies of complete investigations dating back to his first assigned case as a detective. Liam looks through several homicide cases, murder books, and locates a past homicide case that interests him.
“This is what I'm looking for. The Lonnie Jackson homicide,” says Liam, looking at Sandy.
He takes the homicide murder book and places it on top of a gun safe. He continues to look through a second file cabinet, but stops and shakes his head and says, “I never had a case involving a Shea, I don't think.”
Liam continues looking through old investigations for the next forty-five minutes or so. He slams the file cabinet shut and goes to the gun safe, opens it, and removes .40 caliber ammunition, a Winchester 12-gauge 870short-barreled pump shotgun, and two boxes of 12-gauge ammo.
The Key to Betrayal Page 3
