The Cleanest Kill

by Rick Reed

  Jack took a seat close enough to Needham to make the man turn his chair.

  “You told Claudine you were here to cooperate. Let’s begin.”

  “Do your best, Detective Murphy.”

  Jack had to admit that if Needham was in the hot seat, he wasn’t showing it.

  “Tell us about the fight at the cemetery the night Max died,” Jack said.

  “Not much of a fight,” Needham said. “We were just boys then. You know how boys have to show their toughness. It was all bravado.”

  “Max’s head blown all over the inside of his car. Is that what you mean by bravado?”

  “Let me ask you something, Detective Murphy. Why would we want to kill Max? What would we have to gain? He was one of our best tackles. Everyone knew it. Sure, he and Richard had some competition going, but it was over nothing. Richard was a team player. He would do nothing to harm the team’s chances of winning the championship game. And I suppose you heard about the cheerleader. She was disposable. Richard wasn’t serious about her.”

  “How did the game end?” Jack asked.

  “I know you know that we won that game. The trophy is somewhere. Rex Mundi closed its doors and a lot of things went missing from the trophy cases. Are you investigating that too?”

  “Tell me about the fight at Rex Mundi.” Jack knew he was running out of time to question this arrogant turd, but this all went to motive and opportunity and Needham was a firsthand witness.

  “Richard caught Max flirting with Ginger. Ginger was Richard’s girlfriend. Richard had warned Max to stay away from her. When he caught Max out by the football field flirting with her, he confronted Max. Max punched Richard in the nose. End of fight.”

  “And that was it?”

  “No. It should have ended there, but Max made some threats toward Richard. Richard wouldn’t let it go. It was a matter of honor, you see, because a small crowd had gathered by that time and they were making fun of Richard’s bloody nose.”

  “It took the three of you to pursue Max and soothe Dick’s ego.”

  “Richard was going to have it out with Max. We—Dennis and I—were Richard’s closest friends and naturally we went with him. I only tagged along so there wouldn’t be any violence. But I’ll admit, Dennis was wired, high, and ready to go. Before or maybe afterwards—it’s been a long time ago and my memory isn’t what it used to be, sorry—but I think it was during the scuffle between Richard and Max and Denny that Denny made some threats and said awful things. Stuff about Max’s mother and sister; you know the sort of things. Denny threatened to kill Max but we didn’t believe he meant it. Of course, Denny was under the influence of the latest pharmaceuticals. You do know that Denny had a drug problem?”

  “Denny?” Jack said.

  “Dennis James. We called him Denny.”

  “Are you suggesting Dennis James killed Max?” Jack asked.

  “You’re the detectives. I’m only telling you what I remember.”

  “Do you agree that one of the three of you killed Max?” Jack asked.

  “If you say so.”

  “You said Dennis had a drug problem. Does he have one now?” Jack asked.

  “I haven’t had contact with Dennis James for quite a long time. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t give himself a hot shot.”

  Jack knew a hot shot was what druggies called dying from an overdose. But that wasn’t what Needham meant by the remark.

  Needham leaned forward, speaking in an arrogant tone, a tone Jack had heard coming from Dick’s mouth many times. “Both Richard and I have respectable, responsible, powerful careers. On the other hand, Dennis James, by all accounts, was a career criminal, an alcoholic and drug addict. If he’s not careful, his habit will be the end of him.”

  “Dennis James was a career criminal. Is that what you said?”

  “I simply meant he has always been a criminal. A thief. A drug addict. A liar. But he was still our friend, for all that. We tried to help him all we could. He was pathetic, really.”

  “Dennis James was killed in a fire this morning,” Jack advised.

  Needham forced a shocked expression, and said, “That’s what I predicted. His drug addiction finally got the better of him.”

  “Are you familiar with Monarch?” Jack asked. This got the first unprepared reaction from Needham.

  Needham said, “Well, yes. We played for the Rex Mundi football team. The Monarchs.”

  “Are you partnered with Richard Dick and Dennis James in a company called Monarch Investments?”

  Needham said sheepishly, “You got me, Detective. You are as good as Richard said you were. He hates you for it, but then, Richard never did like to be outdone.”

  “Monarch,” Jack said.

  “Monarch is the name of a company—a start-up, really—that Richard and I are building for our retirement. We had the idea to name it Monarch after the football team, and then at the last minute decided to bring Dennis in on the deal. Of course, he had no money to invest, so we made him a silent partner and paid his share. We were going to share the profits with him to keep him alive. I guess that won’t happen now.”

  “You weren’t telling the truth when you said you hadn’t been in contact with James for a long time.”

  “Old habits die hard, Detective Murphy. I was trying to protect our reputations and the reputation of our fledgling company.”

  “Have you been in touch with James recently?” Jack asked.

  “We were close friends in high school. I kept in touch with him for a few years and then… well, I got involved with law school and the tedious climb to where I am now. I have to say, after the earlier contacts during college, it was Dennis who maintained contact with me. In fact, he called me only a few days ago. Needing money.”

  “You didn’t want him to contact you?”

  “It’s complicated,” Needham said, and settled comfortably back in his chair. “I’m a loyal friend. So is Richard. Once a friend, always a friend. We were teammates. When a friend is down, you don’t abandon them. I gave Dennis money from time to time. I knew he was putting it up his nose or in his veins or whatever junkies do. But I also encouraged him to get counseling or into rehabilitation. So, no. I didn’t particularly relish his calls.”

  “Did you meet him recently?”

  Needham hesitated. It was almost unnoticeable, but it was enough.

  “As I told you, I spoke to him on the telephone a few days ago. He called my office and insisted he talk to me. He was rather abrasive, with my secretary and I could tell he was losing it. He wasn’t making a lot of sense. Rambling. Making accusations about conspiracies and the like. He said he knew who killed Max Day, but when asked he would start rambling again. I put a rather large deposit in his bank account and told him there would be no more money. That he was on his own. I suggested he get help. I threatened to kick him out of the company if he didn’t.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us this right off?” Jack asked.

  “Because I know how the police mind works. You would focus on Dennis as a killer and with his record and his mental state, he would be locked up. I’m still his friend and I’m still an attorney.”

  “How noble of you, Carl,” Jack said.

  “Anything else you need to know?” Needham asked.

  “Yeah. Did you kill Maximillian Day?”

  “No. I did not.”

  “Did you kill Amelia Day?”

  “Who?”

  “Amelia Day. Max’s mother,” Jack said.

  “Oh. Right. No. I did not kill Amelia Day.”

  “Did you kill Harry Day?”

  “No. I did not kill Harry Day or any other Day, and I hope you’re not going to run through all of your unsolved homicides.”

  “Are you acquainted with Thomas Dick. Richard’s father?” Jack asked.

  “Wher
e are you going with this now, Jack?”

  “Did you know Dan Olson?”

  “I think you’re fishing without bait now, Jack.”

  “Well, I think that about does it, Carl. Thanks for answering my questions. We’ll show you out. I’m sure you’re anxious to meet with the new Chief of Police. Give him my best,” Jack said.

  Jack and Liddell walked Needham to the door and Jack shook his hand. “I hope to see you again, Mr. Needham. Real soon. We’ll take that fishing trip I talked about.”

  Needham didn’t smile. He turned and walked toward the Chief’s complex.

  Jack let the door shut and Liddell asked, “What do you think?”

  “He’s our guy,” Jack said.

  Chapter 50

  Reina made a pot of strong coffee and sat at her table, sipping it black. She thought about taking a couple of cups of coffee down the street and knocking on the damn police car’s window to let them know she was aware of them. But she didn’t do that. She thought about calling the Chief of Police, but that wasn’t going to happen, either. She had Detective Murphy to thank, or rather to blame, for this invasion of her privacy. Detective Murphy hadn’t struck her as a man who gave up easily. She knew she should feel grateful, but she only felt pissed off. She had a right to make her own decisions and go about her day without being followed by the police. Just the thought of being watched made her skin crawl after the ordeal she’d endured.

  She’d just watched Channel 6 television. Richard Dick had been appointed as Chief of Police. She saw Murphy bringing Carl Needham through the reporters, but not in handcuffs.

  She could no longer call the police to complain about the harassment. Any complaint made by her would fall on deaf ears. But maybe Dick would call off the dogs. He didn’t care if she was killed. In fact, she suspected very strongly that Dick was the one doing all this and she intended to prove it. That was when she came up with an idea.

  She searched her contacts in her iPhone and found the number for the Chief of Police. She hesitated only a moment and punched the send button. The phone was answered almost immediately by a male voice. She recognized it from the taped conversation.

  “Chief of Police Richard Dick. Who is this?”

  “You know who this is, don’t you?”

  Dick was silent and she could almost see the gears in the bastard’s head turning.

  “I think you’ve gotten the wrong number,” Dick said. “If you want the Evansville Police Department you need to hang up and dial 9-1-1 for an emergency dispatcher.”

  “Oh, I’ve got your number, Richard. This isn’t an emergency. At least not for me. I have all the time in the world. I’ve waited thirty-seven years to make this call.”

  “What do you want, Reina?”

  She cringed at the sound of her name coming from that twisted bastard, but it was good that he knew who she was.

  “What I want, Dick, is for you to feel what my family has felt all these years. No more television. No more reporters. No more investigation. The next time I talk to you will be face-to-face. Do you understand?”

  Dick’s voice came down the line; strong, angry. “It has been thirty-seven years, Miss Day. Your family suffered an injustice, but I am not to blame. I promise you: If you continue to besmirch my name, I will sue you for every dime you and your family have. This news campaign you’ve run to keep me from becoming Chief of Police didn’t work. Your threats mean nothing to me. I’m sorry you are angry, but this is the last time we’ll speak. Do you understand?” He said this last in a threatening voice.

  “You were always a dick. Even in high school. I can see why Max hated your guts. If you’re such a coward, I guess you’ll be seeing me on television. My next call is to the major television stations. FOX, CBS, NBC—I’m sure one of them will want to hear how you victimized and murdered an entire family for three decades.”

  “I’m warning you…”

  “No. I’m warning you. I want you to listen close, or maybe you should write this down. I want you to meet me. If you don’t, I go straight to the news media and I’ll accuse you of being the one who shot at me. I’ll tell them I saw you. That we spoke. That you threatened me to stop talking to the news. I’ll put your face on Twitter and Snapchat and Facebook and anywhere I can humiliate you. Then I’ll swear out charges and have you arrested. We’ll see who a jury believes.”

  The line was silent for a long time. Reina’s hand was shaking when his voice came back.

  “Tell me where and when. And then this is the end of it.”

  Chapter 51

  Jack and Liddell were sitting at the table in the war room at Two Jakes Restaurant with Angelina, Captain Franklin, and a new member of the team, exiled Chief Marlin Pope.

  “So, this is the famous—or should I say ‘infamous’—war room? Impressive, Jack,” Marlin Pope said.

  Jake Brady came in and set a tray of pastries on the table. Vinnie brought two carafes of coffee with mugs, creamer, sugar, and spoons.

  Liddell poured a mug for himself and said, “Want some fresh, Angelina?”

  “None for me. I’m trying to keep that stuff out of my body for a while. It makes me feel sick to my stomach, anyway.”

  Liddell asked, “Are you… you know?”

  Angelina saw that Jack, Captain Franklin, Pope, and Liddell were all staring at her.

  “Okay. I wasn’t going to tell you until I started showing. I know how you guys are and I don’t want you to treat me any different. Mark is already buying things for a boy. What is it with you men?”

  “Are you going to name her Wonder Woman?” Liddell asked.

  Angelina came right back at him. “Yeah. And she’ll kick your Cajun ass back to the swamp you came out of.”

  “Oh, yeah. She’s pregnant,” Liddell said.

  Pope said, “I guess our little band of misfits is growing. I hear congratulations are in order, Jack. Give Katie my best wishes.”

  “I will, Chief,” Jack said.

  “Marlin will do for now,” Pope said. “I’m not the Chief after midnight tonight.”

  Angelina said, “I’m sorry, Chief Pope. That was a dirty move by the mayor.”

  “Yeah,” Liddell said. “What made him do this now?”

  “That’s not important,” Pope said. “I’m a Deputy Chief by merit rank and Charles is still a Captain. They can’t fire either of us without just cause. But I’m afraid I’ve painted a target on your backs, given what I’ve asked you to do. The mayor has given me a little time to clean up any open business.”

  It was silent around the table and eyes were cast down as Pope continued. “My last act as Chief of Police is to relieve Jack and Liddell of the responsibility to investigate any of these cases. I’ll reassign you to homicide. I’ll try to protect your job, Charles, but even I’m not sure what’s coming. I’m sorry, Angelina, but you should expect to be fired by Richard first thing in the morning.”

  “We have until midnight,” Liddell said.

  “I think we have enough to charge Needham. Do you agree, Captain?” Jack asked.

  Franklin said, “Maybe we should call the prosecutor’s office first.”

  “While you’re doing that, Captain, Liddell and I will go find Needham before he disappears or gets Dennis James sprung and kills him,” Jack said. He and Liddell got up to go.

  “I’ll call the Posey County lockup and make sure they don’t release James to anyone for a while,” Chief Pope said. “But wait to hear from us before you take Needham into custody, Jack.”

  “You bet,” Jack said.

  Chief Pope muttered, “When have we been able to stop you?” as Jack and Liddell left the war room.

  They got to Jack’s car. Liddell’s phone dinged. “Angelina just sent the files.”

  Jack tossed the keys to him. “You drive. I don’t trust myself right this minute.”


  Chapter 52

  Liddell drove past the Civic Center and turned north on Sycamore Street. He pulled into the private parking area by the Chief’s complex.

  “Double Dick’s parking spot is empty,” Jack said. He’d seen Dick’s black SUV at his house earlier, but nothing was parked in the Chief’s or the Deputy Chief’s parking spaces. He couldn’t believe Dick would miss a chance to park in the big dog’s parking spot.

  “Maybe he’s getting five gold stars painted on the hood,” Liddell suggested. “Or tattooed on his forehead.”

  “Let’s go inside and see where they’ve gone,” Jack said. “Park in the Chief’s spot. He won’t mind and Dick’s not Chief Dick until after midnight.”

  Liddell pulled into the space. “We’re getting fired anyway.”

  Jack used a master key he’d talked the building super out of a few months ago to open a door that led directly into the Chief’s complex. Judy Mangold was busy putting things from her desk into a Bankers Box.

  “Going somewhere, Judy?” Liddell asked.

  “Does the Pope shit in the woods?” she said in a deadpan voice.

  “Hey, that’s my line.”

  “As Jack would say: Bite me.”

  “Is he gone?” Jack asked.

  “You mean Attila the Dick? Yes. He and that smarmy friend of his took off about fifteen minutes ago. I’m hoping to be gone before they get back. I’ve put in a lot of years here, but I refuse to work for that grade-A asshole. I’ll get a job at Walmart first.”

  “Did they say where they were going, Judy?” Jack asked.

  “Why? Are you going to arrest them? Tell me you’re going to arrest them, Jack. Or that you’re going to shoot the bastard.”

  “Okay, Judy. I’m going to arrest one of the assholes. Maybe shoot the other one. Feel better now?”

  She dropped her stapler into the box, her arms fell to her sides, and she sat like that, stunned. “Not really. Chapman and Wolf turned in their retirement papers just now. They’re up in personnel signing their pension papers. There will be a lineup there before the day’s out. Oh Jack! I never thought I’d see this.”