Zane pulled out his phone and sent Jake a text: Come to the hospital when you finish your shift.
Jake responded immediately: I’ll be there in less than an hour.
Zane didn’t know who he could trust, but decided Jake was still too new to be corrupted. He didn’t know enough people to have made friends or pick up any informants he owed. And Zane needed an ally. He couldn’t do this himself. He needed to find Newton. And Jake might be able to find out from Kim where Newton could be found. It was a long shot, but worth a try. He couldn’t tell anyone else, because he was sure someone had sent Payaso after Kate, and he had no idea who.
True to his word, Jake arrived in less than an hour. “How is she doing?” were the first words out of his mouth.
“She’ll live, but it’s going to be a long road. She’s pretty beat up.”
Jake looked at the floor of the hospital hallway. “I know. It was hard to look at her last night. I imagine the swelling is worse now.”
“Broken cheekbone and nose. Her eyes are black, and her eyeballs, what I could see of them, looked blood red. She’s gonna hurt pretty bad once the surgery meds wear off. I hope the morphine is enough. But that’s not why I called you.”
“What’s going on?”
“Kate said Geo Newton’s name. She said to find him. Did you or Francois hear anything about Newton and what happened with Kate last night?” Zane’s face creased with concern and longing to know the answers.
“The captain and I went back to the scene after we left the hospital. Chief Rambone wanted us to get a second look at the crime scene. Nothing was mentioned about Newton at all. Isn’t he a person of interest in the M Street murders?” Jake shoved his hands into the pockets of the pullover hoodie he wore over his uniform.
“He is. And I need to find him. If he’s the one who shot Kate, I’ll kill him myself.”
“That doesn’t seem right, Sergeant Gwilly. From everything at the scene, it looks like Silva ambushed Darby and dragged her into the alley. Somehow, he got the better of her, undressing her. From the evidence, Silva tried to rape her, but someone shot him before he could succeed. It could have been Kate, but from the dirt on her back, he had her on the ground. Silva had grease and dirt on his knees. So maybe he straddled Kate, but the angle of the bullet doesn’t make sense.”
“In what way doesn’t it make sense?” Zane asked, wanting to shake Jake to get him to the point faster.
“No way could Kate have shot him while lying on the ground. He was shot straight on. It’s obvious from the exit wound. Straight in and out. Not an angle.”
“What did Chief Rambone say?” Zane asked.
“He thinks I need to keep close to Kim. She knows more than she’s letting on.”
“That’s not exactly what I meant, but that will do. Let’s go have a chat with Kim.”
“She’s still in County. No one bailed her out this time.”
* * *
Zane didn’t have time for any crap, and he made sure the jailer understood. Kim hadn’t even had breakfast yet when they escorted her into the interview room.
“You?” Kim immediately turned back to the jailer. “I have no desire to talk to these assholes.”
The jailer looked at Zane, then back at Kim. “Sit down. Listen to what they have to say.”
Kim rocked her head from side to side, then turned and said, “What do you want with me?”
Zane and Jake sat down, Kim followed suit.
“I’m sure you know your boyfriend was killed,” Jake said.
Kim frowned. “Foss?” She showed no emotion.
“Silva,” Zane said.
Kim’s frown deepened. “Silva?”
Jake leaned closer. “Payaso.”
Kim’s frown fell away, her cool demeanor crumbled. “That’s not even funny.”
“He’s not kidding,” Zane said.
Kim’s entire body shook like an addict coming off a three-day high. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She took deep, sobbing breaths, but didn’t make any sound.
Smug, Jake said, “No one is coming to save you now, Kim. No one.”
“Fuck you, Jake. As usual, you don’t know anything.” She spat the words literally, spittle flying through the air, rolling down her chin.
“You’re right, he doesn’t know shit, but you do,” Zane said.
Jake looked at Zane as if he’d been thrown under a bus. Zane couldn’t look at him, for fear of losing his character.
“I don’t know anything. If I did, I’d be able to get out of here. Isn’t that what you always want, information? ‘I’ll cut you a deal for the right information,’ isn’t that how it always goes?” Kim rocked in her chair, the tears still streaming down her face.
“How did Andy Foss die?” Jake asked.
She turned on him. “Isn’t that your job to figure out?”
“I have a theory,” Zane said. “My theory goes something like this. You were at that house the night Foss was killed.”
“Duh! You already knew that.”
“Kim, they found GSR on your clothes. And the residue matches the residue on the back of Foss’s head.”
Kim shook her head hard. “No, no, no.”
“Yes. You shot Andy Foss, didn’t you?”
“Is that why you’re trying to say Payaso is dead, so I’ll turn on him, then you’ll arrest him and use me as a witness? Well, you can shove that up your ass, because I’m married to him. I can’t testify.”
You could have heard a tear drop in the room as Jake’s eyes went wide and his mouth opened a little. Zane and Jake glanced at each other, neither believing her.
“This isn’t a joke Kim. Payaso is dead. I’ll bring photos if that’s what you want.” Then a thought came to him. “We’re looking for his killer.”
Zane planned to look at the county records to see if Kim was bluffing about being married to Payaso. But for now, he had other, more important issues.
“It don’t matter who killed him. They don’t need you doling out justice. They’ll dole out their own brand. And it won’t be all prettied up with a judge and jury. Whoever killed my man will die an ugly, gruesome death, I promise you.” She continued to rock, her body now rigid. “I’ll get out of here, and I’ll make sure of it.”
By they, Zane knew she spoke of the Nazar cartel. Payaso had been untouchable because of his connections and rank in the cartel. Payaso planned his own death when he took on Kate. Or had he? How did he know Kate would be there? And why was she there in the first place? He couldn’t stop running the questions in his mind.
“Kim, you’re never getting out. Murder one is on the table now. But what I don’t understand is why you killed Andy.”
“You’re crazy. No way you’re pinning that on me. Maybe I was standing next to the person killed him. Wasn’t me.” Defiant, yet the look in her eyes screamed, “I’m terrified.”
Jake cut to the chase. “Tell us the truth about Geo Newton. He wasn’t your boyfriend, obviously. But you know him. I know he was working the area the night of the raid. Did he tip you off? Was that why we didn’t find any drugs in that house?”
“Fuck Newton, he’s a nobody.” Kim stopped rocking. They had her attention.
Zane waited a beat, looking closely as Kim’s eyes darted back and forth at warp speed between Jake and him. She was coming down hard. How many days had it been? Zane was too tired to count.
“What do you know about Newton?” Jake asked.
“I know he’s a snitch. He’s a goody goody, driving around in his Range Rover with his fancy clothes. Thinks he’s too good.”
“Do you know where he hangs out?” Zane asked.
Kim glared at him. “How the fuck should I know?”
Zane felt something missing in Kim’s words. He pondered her words one more time. What was it? Then he almost slapped the table with his hand. Venom. Her words lacked venom. She knew more than she let on.
“We think Newton killed Payaso,” Zane said.
Kim completely cr
umbled. Her back rolled forward, and she dropped her head to her knees, her arms hanging limp, with her cuffed wrists still in her lap. She no longer shook, but took long, controlled breaths. When she looked back up, she said, “His aunt lives on River Drive. When he’s in town he stays with her sometimes.”
“Do you know the address?” Zane asked.
She looked up. “I don’t, but it’s a yellow house. Not bright yellow, but like the color of the inside of a banana.”
They’d hit a nerve. If Newton killed Payaso, she wanted him to pay. She wanted them to find him. And Zane always thought the inside of a banana was more of a cream color, certainly not yellow. But whatever. They’d find the house.
They stood.
“Two more things. The first one: why did you hesitate before you pulled the trigger when you shot Foss?” Zane asked coolly, as if asking her favorite color.
Kim sat up straight, staring Zane down. She said nothing.
“Okay, if that’s how you want to play it, all the details will come out at the trial.” He turned to leave.
“I thought you said two things,” Kim goaded him.
Jake stood at the door, waiting for the jailer to buzz them out. Zane turned back to Kim. “Oh, yeah, Newton didn’t kill Payaso. Your husband tried to rape Corporal Darby, and she unloaded her gun on him. Payaso was killed by the cops.”
As they walked out the door, Kim screamed, “I’m gonna kill that bitch when I get out of here.”
Chapter 28
They didn’t need to look for a banana yellow house. As Zane drove to River Drive, Jake looked up all known addresses for Geo Newton. “19873 River Drive.”
Zane pushed a little harder on the accelerator, but he didn’t want to speed through town. They didn’t need any mistakes. He needed to talk to Newton. Kill him if need be, because he wouldn’t be giving this guy a way out. Not if he was in any way involved in what happened to Kate.
“Do we just go up and knock on the door?” Jake asked.
Zane nodded his head to the front porch of the yellow house, which Zane would have called cream, not yellow. A young man with bright red hair sat on a wooden rocker, rocking and staring at them.
“It’s about time,” Newton said, and stopped rocking.
“You want to talk here?” Zane asked.
“My aunt is at work. Let’s go inside.” Newton opened the screen door and walked inside.
The solid door remained open, so Newton never left their field of view. Zane followed him in the house, feeling safe. No way Newton was armed. He wore only boxer shorts and a fitted tee against his tight frame.
Newton sat in an upholstered chair and indicated the couch for Jake and Zane. “How is Officer Darby?”
Zane immediate stiffened. “What do you know about Corporal Darby?”
“I called it in.” He hung his head. “Man, I’m sorry. No one was supposed to know she’d be there. I wanted to give her information, but I couldn’t do it over the phone. I had no idea she’d be followed.”
“What are you talking about?” Zane asked.
“I called Darby on her cell. Don’t ask how I got the number, cuz I’m not going to tell you. I told her I knew some things, but I couldn’t tell her on the phone. I didn’t know who might be listening. We planned to meet at Madison’s. Neutral ground and all. Then I ditched my phone, in case the cops were tracing it. I got a burner phone. We were supposed to meet at like ten or so. She musta got there early. I heard a noise in the alley as I walked from the parking lot to Madison’s, and that’s when I saw Payaso straddling Darby. He held her hands and a gun, and was pushing his jeans down when I walked up.”
“Did he rape her?” Zane asked, wondering if the police were wrong.
“No, man. I’d just pulled my gun and Payaso sat up. I think Darby puked on him. At least it smelled really bad like vomit. I called his name, and when he looked away from the cop and at me, I shot him in the chest. Darby scrambled up, grabbing for Payaso’s gun, but he somehow grabbed it from the ground before she could get it. He shot her. As she fell back, she grabbed for the gun, and Payaso must have been almost dead, because he just let go. She had a bit of trouble, but she got to her knees, stood right over him, and emptied her magazine. She thought I set her up. I didn’t, man. I didn’t. Anyway, I called 911 and got the hell out of Dodge.”
Zane sighed with relief. Kate was absolutely not raped. But he knew she’d feel raped of her dignity for getting caught off guard. She never would have been in that situation had she been more careful, or at least she’d see it that way. “Why did she think you set her up?”
Newton threw his hands up. “It was just me and her, man. I didn’t tell nobody I was meeting her. She promised to come alone.”
“I talked to her captain and the chief, and they both said they had no idea why she was there,” Zane said. “How would Payaso know? Do you think he’d been following her?”
“Could be, I don’t know. Me and Payaso ain’t exactly friends, you know. We used to be, but his loyalty to the gang life, well, we just ain’t friends now.”
“What were you going to tell Darby?” Jake asked, sounding anxious.
“Look, there was ‘bout to be an all-out turf war. Lopez stepped on some toes, and Payaso took him out. Payaso said he didn’t want none of that weed Lopez was peddling, and Lopez showed up anyway. Him and Danny Boyd been going around to the usual haunts. Payaso took him out.”
“Did Boyd know Payaso killed Lopez?” Zane asked.
“That I don’t know. But I know Danny’s big mouth is what got Lopez in the hurt in the first place. Danny accidentally talked too much. But that’s just Danny. And that’s not all. Fuckin’ Danny, he told Payaso that the Kim Vega chick was blowing Foss for drugs. And that didn’t even make sense, because Payaso kept her hooked up.”
“So Payaso knew Kim had hooked up with Foss? And by hooked up, I’m talking sex, not drugs,” Jake said.
“One and the same, sex for drugs, you know?” Newton said. “And it all went to shit from there. Next thing I know, Nazar’s people are looking for me, and Payaso is looking for a fall guy.”
“You?” Zane asked.
“I guess so. But I wasn’t waiting around to find out. That’s why I called Darby. I heard she was the cop investigating the murders. Personally, I feel bad for Leon, man, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ain’t no reason to kill poor Leon. He’s a good guy.”
“But Leon was in the house, so he got killed. Do you know who killed him?” Zane asked.
“I wasn’t there, and this is second hand, but I heard, Payaso walked in with Kim, and saw Foss OD’ed at the kitchen table. Payaso picked Andy up by the hair, and handed the gun to Kim. Made her put the gun to Foss’s head and pull the trigger. But I wasn’t there, so that’s just the story I heard. Then they heard noise upstairs and Payaso ran up the stairs and killed poor Leon.”
Yeah, yeah, poor, doped up Leon, Zane thought. “So who’s pedaling the fentanyl?”
“I actually think Payaso’s crew put that on the streets. He said something about a bad load of shit he got and instead of cutting it, he was selling full strength just to get rid of it.”
“I thought you weren’t friends?” Jake said.
“We ain’t, but I ain’t stupid, I got my guys on the inside. Just like he got his guys watching me.”
“So do you think that’s how he knew you were meeting with Darby?” Zane asked.
Newton shook his head. “No way no one knew, but Darby and me, unless she told someone. And I told her not to tell no one.”
“Someone knew. Again, maybe Payaso followed her. I don’t know.”
“So should you read me my rights?” Newton asked, putting his wrists together as if ready to be cuffed.
“Look, I don’t have anything on you. I can’t put you at the scene, but someone is going to be looking for the gun that shot that bullet into Payaso’s chest.”
“I know. I’m willing to go without a fight. I’m going to die either her
e or on the inside when Nazar’s people find out I shot Payaso.” He stood.
“Right now, only Jake and I know what you did. There’s no reason to make a federal case out of it. We’ll get back to you when the time is right, but no one’s going to prison for the murders of Lopez, Foss, and Campbell, because Silva is dead. Right now, nothing comes back to you.”
Newton walked them to the door. “Hey, I’m really sorry about the lady cop. I ain’t never shot no one until last night. And I sure wouldn’t shoot a cop. I know I’m a criminal, but other than a few misdemeanors, I don’t have a record. Hell, I ain’t even a felon. I could carry a registered gun if I wanted.”
Zane chuckled at Newton’s cockiness. “Thanks for talking to us. Maybe next time you can offer us some sweet tea.”
As they walked down the steps, Jake said, “I hate sweet tea.”
Epilogue
About an hour after Zane and Jake left Geo’s aunt’s house, there was a knock at the door. Geo looked through the window and didn’t hesitate to open the door. Swinging the door wide, he said, “Did you have more questions?”
The gun came up before Geo could bolt. The last thing he saw before he saw the ceiling in his aunt’s house was the end of the silencer. He lay on the floor, staring at the water stains on the ceiling, thinking he should talk to his aunt about having the roof repaired. Then he thought about nothing at all.
* * *
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Angry Betty Page 18
