Murderer's Row

by Rashad Freeman

  “Don’t get cute. This cold case of yours turned red hot is giving me a damn ulcer. And as far as I can tell you haven’t even ID’d the last victim.”

  Eve straightened her face and stood up. “Walk with me, I need to see Tony.”

  Sighing, the captain followed her out of the office and down a long, wide hallway. The floor was made of a dingy white tile and the walls had a bleak gray hue that seemed to suck all of the life from the air.

  They walked in silence for a few minutes then Eve stopped outside of a blue, metal door. She stared at the wall contemplating her next move and then turned to the captain with a stone look on her face.

  “I didn’t want to get into this in front of the guys,” Eve said. “Steve, nothing is adding up.”

  “You got that right,” the captain said.

  Eve was one of the only people that could call him Steve without catching shit. Out of respect she addressed him as captain in front of other people.

  “First body we got was nearly two years ago. Then we had one every month after that and then nothing for a year. Now we’ve had seven in two months. Not one trace left by the killer except for those stupid cards which never have a shred of evidence on them. Not one witness that’s willing to step forward.” Eve sighed.

  “Look Eve, you’re the best homicide detective we have and I mean that. I stuck my neck out to get you here, but there’s some in the mayor’s office that’ll be more than happy to make this case all about you. Don’t give them the chance, find me something.”

  Eve huffed and nodded her head. She knew exactly what he was alluding to. The title of detective was not easily relinquished to women and the mayor and his cronies were more than eager to snatch the title from her.

  The captain looked at her with empathy and patted her arm. Whistling, he turned around and headed back down the hall. Eve stared after him, her mind racing with doubts. She’d solved numerous homicide cases, but never had anything like this.

  Suddenly the door swung open. On the other side Tony was standing with his hand on his hips glaring at Eve enthusiastically. “Detective, Sal tell you I stopped by?” Tony asked.

  “Yep,” Eve replied as she rubbed her hands across her face, wiping away the remnants of tears.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m good Tony. Just show me what you got,” Eve dismissed him.

  Tony considered pressing her further, but ushered her into the lab instead. She followed him inside and closed the door behind them.

  The CSI lab was the pride of the department, part high school chemistry lab part hi-tech medical research facility. Microscopes, drying cabinets, polilights and shelves full of chemicals lined the walls. Plasma screen monitors and computers were spread across desks, humming along as they crunched massive amounts of data.

  A staff of four including Tony worked in the lab and focused on being on the cutting-edge. They adopted technologies long before they became main stream and insisted they have the newest equipment. As such, everything was processed in-house and when they couldn’t find the answers they wanted, Tony had a friend at the bureau that would lend a hand.

  “So no tox report yet, but we did find some chemical residue on the clothes,” Tony declared.

  Eve lit up, smiling from ear to ear at the first good news she’d heard in weeks. She cocked her head to the side and waited for Tony to continue.

  “Traces of calcium hydroxide, but more importantly polyelectrolyte,” Tony said with a proud smile on his face.

  Eve looked back at him in confusion and Tony gasped.

  “Rosario, do you live under a rock? Look, those are chemicals used in industrial water treatment. Would’ve been impossible to find anything beyond that if it hadn’t been for the polyelectrolyte.”

  “Speak English Tony,” Eve pleaded.

  “Jesus…the city has been using a company called AccuChem to treat all the of the sewer water before it runs off. So far they are the only company using a combination of polyelectrolyte to treat water. I can’t say one hundred percent, but this guy had to have been in the sewers at some point. Only way he could’ve had such high concentration on his clothes.”

  “I love you Tony,” Eve declared and gave him a hug.

  “Oh, it gets better Rosario, but hands off you know I don’t swing that way?” Tony said and raised his eyebrows. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a paper with several addresses printed on it.

  “What’s this?” Eve asked as she read over it.

  “Well, I decided to do a little digging and found the segments of the city that have been treated recently. From that I made a list of all the sections where a person could fit and that beautiful, that’s the addresses to all of them.” Tony motioned towards the paper with a proud grin on his face.

  “Tony, you sure know the way to my heart,” Eve laughed. “No romance, no candlelight dinners, but promise a girl a night of crawling through sewers and I’m all yours.”

  “I normally prefer the candlelight dinners, but this is your fantasy,” he replied.

  Eve winked at him and turned to head out of the lab. She looked at the paper with enthusiasm, eager to uncover the secrets that lie in the sewers.

  “Rosario wait!” Tony yelled after her. “There was one more thing.”

  “There’s more?” Eve grinned.

  “Those parts near the Hudson can get pretty sketchy at night. You might wanna take some backup. Sal or…you know, one of the other guys.”

  “Don’t worry Tony, I got it covered,” Eve laughed and then closed the door.

  CHAPTER 4

  FAMILY TIES

  Henry awoke to the smell of frying bacon. He yawned and stretched his legs before sliding off of the bed and onto the cold tile floor. Looking around the room he winced as the sunlight shot through the blinds like lasers.

  “Agnes?” he called then started to walk towards the kitchen.

  He found her in front of the stove scraping a pile of eggs onto a plate. She turned and smiled at him.

  “Good morning babe. I figured I’d make us a little breakfast, hope you’re hungry.”

  “Yeah, yeah I am. What time did you get home?” Henry suddenly asked.

  “Are you serious? You were snoring like a bear. I slept right next to you the whole night,” Agnes waved him off.

  “I’m serious. I waited up, I called you. Your phone went straight to voicemail.”

  “Yeah, my battery died. I ran into Professor Smith, and talked for a few. I didn’t think I was that long though,” she responded dismissively.

  “It was hours Agnes. I even called Marcy.”

  Agnes almost dropped the plate as she brought it over to the table. She had a startled look on her face, but she straightened up and recovered quickly. “Oh, so you talked to Marcy. What did she have to say?”

  “Well, I didn’t talk to her, she’d already left for the evening. But that’s not the point Agnes, you had me worried.”

  “You’re right,” Agnes said, stunning Henry with how quickly she agreed. “I should’ve checked in.”

  Henry was at a loss for words so he just nodded and started to eat his breakfast. Agnes grabbed her plate and took a seat next to him.

  “So what do you have going on this morning?” Henry asked.

  “The normal stuff, nothing exciting.”

  “So what’s normal for a dope doctor anyway?”

  Agnes gave him a stern look. “You know I don’t like when you say that. I’m an anesthesiologist not a fucking dope doctor.”

  “Whoa, language,” Henry gawked. “What ship did you get off of this morning sailor?”

  Agnes continued. “Besides what’s the daily routine for a two-bit reporter these days. Gonna cover the neighborhood squirrels giving birth?”

  Henry dropped his fork and glared at Agnes. With unrelenting eyes she looked right back at him. They sat locked in a visual tug of war until Henry cracked a smile. Agnes followed suit and burst into a giggling fit.

  “S
quirrel birth huh?” Henry said. “Now you’re a doctor and a comedian.”

  “I do what I can,” Agnes shrugged.

  Laughing, Henry finished his breakfast then put his plate in the sink. He ran off to the bedroom and quickly got dressed. Then grabbed his briefcase and headed towards the door.

  “See you tonight,” he said and gave Agnes a kiss goodbye.

  “I’ll be here,” she replied.

  Henry left the apartment and headed downstairs where his silver Honda Accord was waiting. Like every other day Henry tossed his briefcase into the backseat then drove off to the station across town.

  The newsroom was located on the fifteenth floor of what used to be a financial services building. Now it was home to a few start-ups, but most of the offices were vacant. Inside of the news station there were smaller offices located against the back wall and small wooden desks speckled everywhere else.

  The décor looked like it was fresh from a yard sale. Mismatched lamps and chairs were everywhere. They only had one conference room that sat in the middle of the office like a giant fish tank. The entire floor was covered in a dense green carpet that looked like Astro Turf and the walls were decked in a pattern that hadn’t been updated since the 80’s.

  After checking his messages with Diane, the receptionist, Henry took a seat at his desk and stared into the computer screen. He didn’t have much time to meditate as Benny showed up shortly after he sat down.

  “What’s on the agenda today boss?” Benny’s enthusiastic voice called.

  “Nothing if I can manage it,” Henry replied.

  “Oh come on. At least we can work on the FDA story.”

  Benny had been pitching a drug story since he started. It detailed the massive increase in drug prescriptions following the mayor’s push to bring awareness to mental health. Benny asserted it was all a ploy so they could stuff their pockets, but Henry couldn’t care less.

  “Unless somebody dies, and that’s not including you, I’m not getting up from this chair.” Henry said emphatically.

  Benny frowned and took a seat next to him. He grabbed a pen and started to tap it against the desk. Henry shot him a look and he set it down and crossed his hands in his lap.

  After five minutes Benny stood up and started to pace anxiously. He huffed and stomped his feet like a child, showing his displeasure.

  “Can’t we even follow-up on the serial killer?” he asked in desperation.

  “Damn it kid. When are you gonna learn that coasting by is living?” With a scowl on his face Henry jumped out of his seat and stormed off.

  Benny stared after him with a dumb look on his face. He watched as Henry rounded the corner and headed down the hall towards the elevators. He wasn’t sure if he was being fired or he’d simply offended him.

  “Move your ass!” Henry yelled back. “You wanted to do some work, we’re gonna do some work.”

  Benny smiled then grabbed his bag and ran after Henry.

  Thirty minutes later they were walking into the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. It was a drab building with very few windows. CME was stamped in bold letters over the faded light blue brick. Benny could easily see why it had been chosen as a hotel for the dead.

  They walked in through a single metal door and stopped at a chest-high counter. An elderly man, probably in his early seventies, sat on a stool behind it picking at his fingernails. He had a few wisps of gray hair left on his shiny head, the rest had seemingly migrated to his ears. His dull eyes were hidden behind a pair of horn-rimmed glasses and he had a weird way of moving his mouth like he was trying to get his dentures back into place.

  As they approached, he tilted his glasses with his forefinger and eyed them skeptically. He first looked at Benny and distorted his face like he’d just gotten a whiff of a horrible smell. Then he looked to Henry and nodded his head.

  “Say Henry, you’re hanging out with some unscrupulous folks these days. Seen one looked just like him get rolled back there not more than an hour ago.”

  Benny frowned and looked from side to side to see if there was someone else there the man could be talking to.

  “Yeah you Lee,” the man added, jabbing a finger at Benny. “You squinty-eyed jap bastards are a plague.”

  “Look you old shit--” Benny started.

  Henry grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

  “Yeah Pete, I’m just doing my part,” Henry said. “Kid’s part of an outreach program to save the wayward. You know each one teach one.”

  Pete bit his lip and shook his head. “Well, I can’t fault you for trying, but if you ask me it’s a lost cause.”

  “Just might be,” Henry replied. “Any chance Kathy is back there?”

  “Yeah, just head on around. But Henry, you watch him you hear?”

  “Sure thing Pete.”

  Henry pulled Benny by the arm and led him off down a narrow hallway. Once they were out of earshot Benny pulled his arm away and got in Henry’s face.

  “What the fuck was that about?”

  “He’s a racists old shit, but sometimes you gotta take the good with the bad. We needed to get back here, so if you gotta put up with a little shit just deal with it.”

  Benny stared at Henry and considered what he was saying. Fuming, he turned and started back down the hallway. “Fuck him,” he mumbled under his breath.

  Henry took a few steps and then turned down another hall. “It’s this way asshole.”

  Benny quickly ran after Henry and followed him through a wooden door. They stepped into a dark room that was only illuminated by a flashing computer screen sitting on a small metal desk. Behind the desk was a middle-aged blonde woman in a white lab coat. She was staring at the screen pounding her fingers onto a keyboard.

  “Kathy?” Henry said hesitantly.

  The lady lifted her head and stared across the desk. She grinned and cleared her throat. “Henry, what brings you down here?”

  “I came to see you,” Henry said.

  “Pshh, that’s unlikely. What do you really want?”

  “Oh come on now Kathy. Can’t a guy just want to see a pretty lady?”

  “You’re hilarious. What do you want? I have a real job to do.”

  A sinister grin stretched across Henry’s face. He closed the door and took a seat in front of Kathy’s desk. Benny followed his lead, unsure of what Kathy’s views were on Asian-Americans.

  “Can’t we turn on a light in here? I swear you’re turning into a damn vampire,” Henry griped.

  “I don’t know what I ever saw in you Chambers,” Kathy said and leaned back in her seat stroking her long hair seductively. “Who’s your friend? He’s cute.”

  Henry sneered then turned and looked at Benny. Benny raised his eyebrows and gave Kathy a wink.

  “That, is my assistant and most times a pain in my ass,” Henry said in agitation. “And you can have your way with him in exchange for a little information.”

  “Now, I don’t think your brother would like that Henry.”

  “That’s never stopped you before,” Henry replied with a snide look.

  “Should…should I leave the room?” Benny cut in.

  “Shut up kid. Adults are talking,” Henry jabbed.

  Kathy grabbed a piece of paper and started to scribble on it. “Tonight, 9pm. I’ll be on the 10th floor, Room 314 at the Hilton in Midtown. Leave the kid…or maybe you should bring him,” she said then handed the paper to Henry.

  “I told you Kathy, I’m in a relationship now. It’s serious.”

  “And I’m married to your brother Henry and that never stopped you before.”

  Henry looked back at Benny with a face that he took to mean “you talk and I’ll kill you.” He turned back to Kathy and shook his head from side to side.

  “Information has a price Henry, you should know that better than anyone. And the only thing you have left to barter with is what’s dangling between your legs. I suggest you remember that.”

  “Fine!” Henry stammered. “J
ohn Doe they pulled from the river the other night, he got a name.”

  Kathy grinned. “I’m not sure if you can afford that one.”

  “I think I can manage it,” he said confidently.

  “You ask a lot Henry, don’t be late tonight.” Kathy took a breath and then stared at Benny. “You sure you can trust this kid, you’re gonna have to sit on this for a day.”

  “Yeah, he’s solid.”

  “Your John Doe is none other than Adam Greenberg, the mayor’s brother,” Kathy declared.

  CHAPTER 5

  DOWN IN THE DEPTHS

  “I’ve got a few things I need to check out and then I’ll be home. Save me some dinner,” Eve said into her cell phone.

  “I will, be careful out there okay,” Marc, her husband replied.

  They’d been married for ten years, but Marc was never comfortable with her late hours, especially now. For the bulk of Eve’s career she’d worked in the narcotics division, but her last promotion took her into homicide. Marc never thought he’d miss sleazy drug dealers and addicts, but anything was better than the depraved minds she had to deal with now.

  “I’m always careful honey,” Eve laughed. “I love you.”

  “Love you too,” Marc said.

  Eve pressed the end button on her cell phone and dropped it into the cup holder. She stared at the steering wheel of her Dodge Charger and took a few slow, steady breaths.

  “Shit,” she mumbled and grabbed her phone again. She jabbed a set of numbers and then waited as the phone rang.

  “Ah, hello,” a man answered.

  “Is that all the respect I get now?” Eve asked jokingly.

  “Rosario!” the man exclaimed. “Hey Bobby, I got your niece on the line,” he turned his head and called out. “How you been kid?”

  “Good, real good Mike. I need to get down there and see you.”

  “Sure as shit you do. It’s been a while, lil Mikey’s been asking about you.”

  “Aw, tell him I’ll see him soon.”

  “I will, I will. Talk to you later sweetie, here’s your uncle.”