by Kyle West
McKenna despondently agrees, he then asks, “Did Ross have his key with him?” Rome answers, “Yea…Shit, I don’t know.” McKenna adds, “If Ross had his key with him, then the cops have it now and they’re probably heading to your room right now Jerome!” Hurrying to the door, McKenna tells Rome to get his room and pack up his and Barone’s belongings. Rome quickly leaves. McKenna, grabs one of Starr’s souvenir baseball caps to put on, then tells Starr that he is going to talk to the police in hopes of deterring any investigation of Barone’s real identity and/or a search of Rome and Barone’s room…he then leaves.
Because of their covert military background, the former soldiers are accustomed to carrying false identification, if any at all.
Back at the crime scene…Det. Roussel asks the medical examiner, which is examining Barone’s body, about the bruises on Barone’s back and stomach, “How can you fall on your back and stomach at the same time, by accident?” The M.E. says,” I don’t know? There are also some minor abrasions on his left side, like he fell onto pavement, not water.”
Mr. Cade then comes over to tell Det. Roussel that the key is for room 515, which is registered to Jeff Rossi (which is Barone’s alias). The hotel room is paid for by Elarton and O’Shea Inc. McKenna’s mother, Barbara O’Shea is the co-owner of a book publishing company. She gave her company credit card to McKenna, which is how he paid for all of the hotel rooms.
Det. Roussel says to Mr. Cade, “I need you to come with me I might need you to let me in.”
Just then McKenna and Det. Ardisi walk towards Roussel and Mr. Cade. Det. Ardisi says to Roussel, “Detective this guy knows the deceased, he wants to know what happened.”
Det. Roussel introduces himself, then asks, “And you are?”
McKenna replies, “Scott…Scott Tomlin.” McKenna’s alias.
Det. Roussel asks McKenna questions about Barone’s whereabouts this evening and who he was with this tonight.
McKenna says that he thinks Barone was out alone.
The detective informs McKenna that Barone had no valuables, no wallet and no ID. McKenna tells Det. Roussel that Barone never took his valuables when he went out because he would usually lose them. Det. Roussel then shares with McKenna that he thinks Barone slipped and fell into the pool and drowned. He then states that he needs him to identify the body, which McKenna does.
As both McKenna and Det. Roussel stand over Barone’s body, “I guess that’s all Mr. Tomlin. I may need to ask you some more questions later.”
McKenna responds, “I’ll be here. I’m in room 616.”
Det. Roussel thanks McKenna. McKenna then heads back to Starr’s room.
As he turns the corner to the elevator, McKenna hurries to the house phone to call up to Barone and Rome’s room. Rome informs him, “Greg this room is spotless. The bed is still made and everything. No clothes, no bags, nothin`! Even my shit is gone!”
Chapter 9
8:00 am
Back at the Westin Hotel. Vivian is standing by the window, staring out at the oil tankers traveling down the Mississippi River. Keith is busy eating a western omelet he ordered from room service. The atmosphere is tight, but Keith tries to get Vivian to loosen up a bit with light conversation. Vivian isn't interested in idle chit-chat, and only responds with one-liners. Keith looks at his cell and notices that its 8 o' clock.
He announces that he has to head out. "I gotta get down to the post office. I want to be there when they open up."
Vivian deep in thought continues to look out the large window without acknowledging Keith. "You still have that doctor's appointment this morning, right?" Vivian, without turning towards Keith tells him yes. "What time do you have to be there, Vivian? I can take you there first and then we'll go to the post office together. I just don't want you alone."
"I have to be there by 9 o' clock, its only four blocks away from here. I'm gonna walk. I'll be fine. You better head over, they'll be open soon. I'll meet you back here when I'm done."
Keith senses Vivian lack of energy this morning and asks, "What's wrong?"
"I'm fine. I didn't get much sleep last night. I just want all of this to be over. I want my life back."
As Keith puts on his jacket, he says, "You will. We'll find that money today and be done with this. I promise."
She nods her head.
"C'mon, Vivian, I can't lose you now. We're almost done. Gotta, stay strong."
Vivian nods her head affirmatively, "You go on and let me know if you need me for anything."
After Keith leaves, Vivian picks up her phone to call Ronelle at home. She catches her in the midst of her morning workout, "What's wrong? You don't sound good."
"I'm scared, Ro. I told Keith I'd help him find the money, but I feel like I'm asking for more trouble. Now I feel like I have nowhere to run, nobody to turn to. What did I do to deserve all of this?!"
"Call the FBI guy. The white dude that was at the funeral."
"You mean Insp. Clark?"
"Yeah, him. He called here looking for you last night. He don't have your number?"
"I was in bed, so if he did call I didn't hear it."
"Call him and have him end all of this bullshit! This is getting out of control Viv.”
“I'm gonna call him. Last time I spoke with him he told me he was waiting for more evidence before he could really do anything. He told me that it was hard to do anything without the money or further evidence leading to a motive."
Ronelle tells her, "That ain't your problem! Just call him! Call Roussel then. Tell him everything about everything, the money, the F.B.I., all of that shit! Let them handle that so you can have things back to normal for you. And you can return back to your boring life."
Vivian doesn't appreciate Ronelle's last comment, joke or not. "Kiss my ass Ro. You don't have these nut jobs out here trying to kill you like I do, or police trying to lock you up for something you didn't do."
"I told you before, all this shit ain't worth your life. I'll come pick you up and we'll go tell the police everything. But you ain't been listening to me, so why I am bothering to waste my breath."
Vivian snaps, "You're not helping Ronelle, you're just barking orders and telling me what to do. I'm sick and tired of everybody telling me what do damnit!"
Ronelle senses that Vivian is not herself this morning and responds with sensitivity, "I'm sorry if you feel that I been treatin' you like that. Seriously, you know I'd do anything for you. You're my BFF to the end, bitch." Both women laugh together.
Vivian humorously responds, "Oh, and what would I do without friends like you."
Vivian and Ronelle chat a little more and the conversation eventually ends with Vivian asking Ronelle to go to her house and get her some clean clothes.
Ronelle tells her, "Not a problem. I'll come by around 2:30-ish. You need anything else?"
"No, but I need to get ready for my, um, doctor's appointment."
Keith is impatiently standing on line at the Post Office on Loyola Ave. It takes a while before he is able to speak to someone at the service window.
"Good morning. Maybe you can help me. My brother was killed earlier this week."
Postal employee, Tabitha Robinson offers her condolences.
"Thank you. My brother had a mailbox at this location and I'm here to check the mail and close the account, but I don't have his key. Can you help me with that?"
Ms. Robinson answers, "Sure. I'm going to need your ID, and I'll need a death certificate. Do you have that?"
"No. I don't have the death certificate, yet. My brother's wife might have it, but she's been out of town, since the funeral. I'm just trying to take care of these things for her."
"I cannot release any mail or properties to anyone except to the addressee without a court order or a death certificate," Ms. Robinson states.
"I understand, but can I just clear out his box then? I'm sure it must be packed with stuff. I can just get everything for his wife." "I'm really sorry, but I can't help you without th
e proper documentation. "What is the box number? Let me at least check and see if his box is full." "Actually, I don't know. My brother's wife has all of this info. His name is Jesse
Baylor and he lived at 1524 Esplanade Avenue, Kenner, Louisiana."
Ms. Robinson checks the computer for Jesse's information, she doesn't find anything with Jesse Baylor's name in the system.
Keith is perplexed and asks, "You sure? Its Jesse with an "e", Baylor. It's gotta be in there."
"No, nothing. We don't have a P.O. Box registered to any Jesse Baylor in the City of New Orleans."
"This can't be. My sister-in-law Vivian, sent me here to take care of this. Please look again."
"I'm telling you, I'm coming up with nothing. I have a David Baylor, Charles and Sylvia Baylor. Did you just say Vivian?"
Keith indicates, yes.
Ms. Robinson continues, "I have a Vivian Baylor in here, but not for having a mailbox.
She requested mail forwarding like two weeks ago. It didn't take effect yet. But no, Jesse Baylor."
10:45 am
Det. Roussel is in the Squad Room at the District 7 station house. He is briefing a few patrolmen when Det. Huntley walks in. He walks over to Det. Roussel and tells him, "Detective, I got Vivian Baylor's phone logs records and bank records. Nothing out of the ordinary. No guns registered, no gun permit. No warrants, not even an outstanding parking ticket."
Det. Roussel responds, "A lady so squeaky clean, she marries a guy she hardly knows? That nobody seems to know?"
Det. Huntley responds, "Dude was probably into something hot."
Det. Roussel responds, "But what? We're missing something here, I know it. Keep looking. Let’s go back and talk to the manager over there again. He’s gotta know something about them that can point us in the right direction here."
Det. Huntley turns to walk out of the squad room. He quickly turns around and says to Det. Roussel, "Oh. The guy that fried himself last night at the Hyatt Regency? I can't locate any next of kin on him, what do you want me to do?"
Det. Roussel replies, "Nobody? Call the hotel. Find that guy, uh, Tomlin. I think I have a number on him. Here, he can help you with that." Det. Roussel then shouts, "Let's get over there first! Give me fifteen minutes, I'll meet you outside!"
12:10 pm
Back at the Westin New Orleans Hotel, Vivian and Keith are having lunch in their room. Keith brought some KFC back for both of them. Vivian isn't eating and Keith isn't saying much, he decides not to ask Vivian about the mailbox forwarding issue. Vivian goes over to the wet bar and takes out two small bottles of Amaretto and a carton of O.J.
Keith watches Vivian make a drink and casually asks, "I thought you didn't drink?"
"I didn't until now."
Keith takes a few seconds, then tells Vivian that the post office was no help to him. He asks, "Does Jesse have a storage locker, or a gym locker that you forgot about? Something like that? A rented garage maybe?"
“No. None that I know of. He might, I really don't know."
Keith continues, "I want to go to the airport and check if he had a locker over there. I mean he might have stashed the money in a locker there. Where was he going anyway?"
Out of nowhere, Vivian shouts, "The car! That damn car! Jesse's car! It just sits in the garage! That money is probably in his car!"
"What car?! What garage, where?!"
"Jesse has this old car that he keeps covered in our garage! It’s actually a tool shed that Mr. Guidry rented to Jesse. It's right behind our unit."
Keith quickly stands up from the table, drops his chicken back into the bucket and hurriedly snatches his jacket off the back of his chair. He says, "A tool shed. That's what we're talking about! Good, Vivian! Get your coat! Let's go!"
12:22 pm
Keith is speeding through the streets of New Orleans. He and Vivian are frantically talking back and forth about Keith's driving. He tells her that he is in control.
Keith questions Vivian, "Why didn't you tell me about the tool shed before?"
"I honestly didn't remember. I was forbidden to touch Jesse's car, or even go in that garage, or shed, whatever you wanna call it." Keith, still speeding through traffic, goes through one too many red lights and gets hit and blind-sided by a trolley car on Napoleon Ave. The car is damaged and the ignition doesn't turn back on. Keith asks Vivian if she is hurt. She's a bit shaken emotionally, but she says she is okay.
The trolley car operator steps from the trolley and rushes over to Keith's car and starts yelling obscenities at him. Keith calmly tells the trolley operator, "I have insurance, don't worry." Keith looks at the scared people in the trolley and asks the trolley operator,
"Is anyone hurt?"
Vivian brushes glass off of her lap and notices Keith’s wallet fell out of his back pants pocket. As she picks the wallet up to give to Keith, she says, “Let’s go! Just give him your information!" As Vivian is about to take Keith’s driver's license out of his wallet to pass to him, Keith violently snatches the wallet from her. Vivian is taken aback by the ferocity from Keith. He takes his business card out of his wallet and gives it to the trolley operator, "Look, this is me. Call me and we'll take care of this." Keith spots a cab that has stopped to ogle at the accident. He motions to the cab driver to see if he is available, he says yes.
Keith walks over to Vivian's car door and helps her from his smashed up car. They rush over to the cab, which is still standing at a red light and get in. The trolley operator takes a look at Keith's business card, looks back at Keith and Vivian to see them climbing into the backseat of the cab, taking off down St. Charles Ave.
Keith and Vivian are in the cab. After a minute of anxious silence, Keith yells to the cab driver, "C'mon man, we don't have all day!" Keith again checks on Vivian if she is okay, again she says yes. Vivian doesn't say much for the rest of the ride to her home as she wonders about Keith's strange behavior at the accident.
12:58 pm
Keith and Vivian pull up in the cab, in front of Vivian's home. They quickly exit the cab and wait for the cab to leave before they both dash to the backyard where the tool shed is located. As they run through the yard, Keith notices a "for sale" sign on the front lawn of Vivian’s condo. Upon entering the shed they find the lock on the shed door broken. The door is also slightly ajar. Keith pushes the shed door open to find Jesse's '66 sky blue Corvette battered, dented and completely torn apart. Every window is broken and the interior is ripped to shreds. Vivian is totally aghast at the condition of her husband's dream car! Keith and Vivian spend several minutes in the shed talking about whether or not they think the money was in the car or not, and if so, who they think has the money now.
Keith slams his hands on the hood of Jesse's car and says, "Damn, Vivian! You should've told me about this car, this shed before?!"
Vivian yells, "I told you, I forgot all about it! Don't yell at me!"
Keith responds, "The money was probably right here the whole time."
"I’m glad they have it! Now they will leave me alone!"
Keith responds, "I hope they do too. Cause if they don't and I don't have the money by tonight, I'm a dead man."
Suddenly the door to the shed swings open and gunshots stream towards Keith and Vivian, who are at the far end of the shed! They duck under the car for protection. In between gunshots, we hear a voice from outside say, "The police are on their way! Don't move or I will blow your damned souls to hell goddamit!" Keith accidentally steps on some broken glass. The shooter then fires more gunshots into the shed. When the gunfire stops again, we hear the voice say, "Keep trying me bastards! I will cut you guys in half! Throw your guns out the door where I can see them!"
Keith laying, face down on the ground, yells to the shooter, "I'm unarmed! No gun! Don't shoot!" Keith then tells Vivian, "This guy is crazy, don't move!"
Vivian, also face down on the ground, recognizes the shooter's voice and says to Keith, "That's Mr. Guidry!"
Vivian yells out, "Mr. Guidry! It's me,
Vivian!"
Mr. Guidry carefully enters the shed with his large .44 Magnum in his hand. He calls out to Vivian. She responds and slowly stands up from behind the car with her hands up.
Mr. Guidry rushes over to her saying, "Vivian! I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you! Did I hurt you?!"
Keith then stands up. Mr. Guidry steps over all the broken glass from Jesse's car and helps Vivian around the car and out of the shed. Keith follows Mr. Guidry who is talking to Vivian, a mile a minute, about how sorry he is for shooting at her. Now outside the shed, Vivian notices that Mr. Guidry's face shows the evidence of a terrible beating.
A shocked Vivian asks, "Mr. Guidry, what happened to you?! Your face?!"
He tells Vivian that three men were trying to break into the shed earlier today. He adds, "They broke the lock with a big ol' sledgehammer! I came on out here to see what they was
fittin' to do. That's when some guy ran up on me, grabbed me and yanked me into the garage askin' me questions about you and Jesse. When I didn't tell them anything, they beat on me somethin' good I tell ya. They are so lucky I didn't have "Roscoe" on me, cause all of them suckers would be takin' a 'dirt-nap' right 'bout now ya hear?!"
Keith and Vivian look at each other as to acknowledge that they know it was the Commandos soldiers who beat on Mr. Guidry. Keith pulls out his cell phone and says, "I'll call for an ambulance."
Vivian apologizes to Mr. Guidry, "I'm so sorry I got you involved in my problems,
Mr. Guidry. I really am sorry you got hurt." "I'm fine Vivian. Who was those guys? Stay away from them, they mean you nothin' but harm honey!"
Mr. Guidry continues, "I called the police, 'bout fifteen minutes ago, right after those guys left. You wanna hang around and wait for them? You can file a report for your husband's car and you can tell them I shot at you and your friend here."
