Murder In Louisiana Politics

by Jim Riley

"Can you reach Lebron?"

  "He be downstairs waiting for me to get through. He ain't want no part of killing you."

  "I like him already," Drexel grinned. "Get him up here. I've got a deal for both of you."

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Drexel trusted Tyrell to leave the room by himself. Ten minutes later, he doubted his decision. Thirty minutes later, he cursed himself for being such a sap. Then the door opened.

  Both young boys stepped into the room. Tyrell was now confident, but Lebron was anything be sure. He looked around waiting for a trap to spring shut.

  "Lebron, he think you gonna shoot us. I told him you ain't like that, but he don’t believe any old man, even a black one."

  "I'm not about to shoot either of you." Drexel laughed. "I want to make an offer and see if you like it."

  Tyrell sat in the same chair, and Lebron sat on the edge of the bed. The second boy was fidgety like he had ants in his pants.

  "I made a phone call," Drexel announced. "Here's what I've got."

  Both boys stared at him, their attention riveted on every word.

  ""Do you want to become part of a real family? One were you to can share the same bedroom, and not have to worry about where to find a meal?"

  The boys looked at each other. This idea was beyond their limited imagination.

  "There is a family in Baton Rouge. They're friends of mine. They haven’t been able to have any kids yet, and they want to share their love with some. I think it will be a perfect fit."

  Drexel spent the next two hours explaining the idea to the two hesitant boys. They wanted to believe him, but nobody had ever shown them this type of kindness.

  Finally, Drexel called the family and allowed the husband and wife to speak directly to each boy. Drexel saw the tension ease and the excitement mount. When they hung up, each boy was smiling.

  "What did you decide?" Drexel asked.

  "We gonna try it for two weeks. Either them or us can call it quits if we ain't liking it then."

  "And if both sides like it?"

  "Then they say they gonna adopt us. They say we be real children with them. We be their kids."

  Drexel smiled. If all the other situations would work out like this one. However, he knew there was new hope. It wasn’t that long ago someone had given him hope when all appeared lost. What he did this night was only pass along the good deed done for him.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Sunday morning

  Central

  After a long night, the hot Community Coffee was not a luxury. It was a necessity. Niki, Donna, and Drexel sat on the large veranda overlooking the lake at the Bridgestone Exotic Ranch. Dalton rode the parameter of the fences of the immense property, performing the required weekly inspection for any fallen limbs or other breaks in the fence.

  "At least we know who she is," Niki said.

  "I've got people watching her place on Carondelet around the clock." Drexel had no sleep since his encounter with the boys in the hotel suite.

  "Paula Netterville," Donna mumbled. "Have you ever heard of her before?"

  "Not until Drexel told me her name. As far as I know, we've never crossed paths."

  "Now you have," Drexel said. "And she wants to cross you off of her list."

  "Why are you on her list?" Donna looked at Niki, while deciding between a chocolate-covered doughnut with sprinkles and a chocolate-filled eclair. She shrugged and took both from the box.

  "I'm glad this hasn't hurt your appetite," Drexel laughed at the treats in Donna's hands.

  "I'm not on her list," Donna responded. "I got in the way when she was trying to kill him Niki."

  "Gee, thanks," Niki laughed.

  "I didn't mean it that way. What I meant is we know she wasn't after me. We need to find out why she was after you."

  "It has something to do with Omar's death," Niki paused to take a sip of coffee. "Somebody thinks we are getting too close to the truth and they don't like it."

  "We still have a full slate of prospects," Drexel said. "We lost some Omar and Clarice, but we still have four more candidates. We also have a wife, the girlfriend, and the aide."

  "What would any of them have to gain?" Donna asked.

  "Omar was the front runner to get re-elected. With him in the race, the other four were long shots at best."

  "Then why kill Clarice?" The young detective polished off the eclair and grabbed the chocolate-covered doughnut.

  "I believe she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Somebody wanted to blow me up in my vehicle, and she was unlucky enough to get him before me."

  "That makes sense. So what we have is somebody killed Mr. Philbin and now is trying real hard to take you out." Donna licked her fingers.

  "I think that's the right track," Niki responded. "We need to go back and find out why Omar was killed."

  "We're back at the same seven suspects. I'm not sure any of them have the edge right now," Drexel mused.

  "What about those two organizations?" Donna asked. "Do we cross them off our list?"

  "We can't," Niki answered. We need to cover all our bases and at least one of them believes it was double-crossed by Omar."

  "What do you want to do about Paula Netterville? At least with her, we don't have a long list. We know she tried to kill you twice, if not three times."

  "All we can do is keep an eye on her and hope she doesn't kill anyone else."

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Sunday night

  Central

  Dennis Hopper left the Magnolia Baptist Church feeling better after night with his fellow believers. The murders of Omar Philbin and Clarice Clement bothered him. He, like almost every citizen in Central, speculated and theorized about the cause.

  He heard the police were asking questions and probing into all the candidates’ lives. He also heard the private investigator, Niki Dupre, was involved in the investigation.

  Hopper feared Niki Dupre more than he did the police. She had shown the ability to unearth the darkest secrets of people she investigated. Hopper had secrets he could ill afford to be exposed.

  Even in high school, Dennis knew he was different from other boys. He did not get aroused by watching the female cheerleaders going through their routines. He was not turned on by the pictures of naked women all the boys texted and emailed one another.

  He felt his body tremble when he was in the showers with the rest of the guys after gym. The sight of these boys proudly displaying their wares was almost too much to stand.

  But Dennis was in Louisiana, the heart of the Bible Belt. This state he grew up in was one of the most conservative in the union. For a young man to admit he was attracted to other boys was not acceptable. It was not acceptable to his family. It was not acceptable to his friends. It was not acceptable to his church.

  How many sermons had he listened to about the abomination of homosexuality? According to his pastor, it was not a sin to be one, but it was a sin to act like one. Dennis suppressed his feelings to please those around him.

  He married right after college and managed to father two boys despite no romantic feelings for his wife. His sons were now a freshman in high school and in seventh grade. He had more reasons than ever to hide his true sexual desires.

  Then he met Lonnie. Both were members of the same Sunday School class, and often found themselves sitting next to each other. Lonnie was also married, but had no children.

  The church often sponsored retreats for different members of the congregation. Dennis and Lonnie both attended one of the men's retreats. On the first night, the counselor asked them to pair up and find a quiet place to pray together.

  Dennis was surprised when Lonnie took his hand and began to pray. They were deep in the woods, separated from the rest of the men. Dennis's hand tightened around Lonnie's as the excitement in his body grew and grew.

  When Lonnie finished praying, Dennis knew it was his turn. But his mind was so jumbled by emotions, nothing came out. He jerked his hand from Lonnie's, a
tear running down his cheek.

  To his surprise, Lonnie wiped the tear from his face and took his hand back.

  "It's okay," Lonnie whispered. "I feel the same way."

  Since that night, Dennis spent every available moment with Lonnie. His wife was glad he had finally found a friend. His kids were teenagers and did not want to be seen with their parents. Dennis and Lonnie spent a lot of time volunteering for projects at the church. Invariably, they ended up in the basement reveling in their newfound relationship.

  Dennis found a new confidence. There was a new bounce in his step. This exuberance was one of the reasons he wanted to run for office. As a congressman, he could open the doors for others who found themselves in a similar situation.

  But now, his secrets were in danger. If Niki Dupre lived up to her reputation, the whole world would know about his relationship with Lonnie. Then his wife would leave him, his boys would face the ridicule and shame of having a gay father, and the people in the church would turn their backs.

  He took his own car to church and let his wife and sons take a minivan. Before he left home, he stuck his .243 Remington semiautomatic model 7400 in the trunk. He had not shot it in several years. The idea of killing an innocent animal gave him nausea.

  But he felt confident he could still hit the mark. He always had a natural ability with the guns, but did not enjoy exercising it. Like the entire city, he had heard of the attempt on Niki's life at the Bridgestone Exotic Ranch.

  He knew where to find her. He only had to overcome his fears and do it. The drive from Central to the ranch flew by. Dennis hoped the trip would take longer, and some divine intervention would step in and stop him. None did.

  Dennis parked halfway down the gravel drive leading to the gates. From there, he walked the rest of the way. The high fence was no obstacle. In less than a minute, he scaled it and was within its perimeter.

  The night was clear and cool. But that did not prevent Dennis from sweating. This was the toughest thing Dennis had ever done in his entire life. He had never even dreamed of doing anything remotely similar. His nervousness made him a mess.

  Dennis stalked around to the back of the house. To his dismay, the blinds were closed, and the shades were drawn. He mentally kicked himself. Of course, Niki would take extra precautions since the attempt on her life. He must not have been thinking clearly.

  Then he saw a shadow through the glass panel in the doors. There were only shades, no blinds. When the shadow moved, Dennis could tell it belonged to a girl. He steadied the rifle on a log and found the target in the Redfield scope.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Inside the lodge, the quartet was still deciding how to proceed with the investigation.

  "Let's leave Paula for Samson's people," Niki said, sitting on the sofa. "He's got a lot more resources than we do and has access to more of the databanks."

  She paused and glanced at Donna. "At least legally."

  "It's only illegal if I get caught," Donna responded. "And they can't catch me."

  "I think that's what Al Capone said right before Ness caught him," Drexel laughed.

  "I agree with you," Dalton said, nodding at Niki. "If we can let him focus on Paula, we can find out who hired her."

  "And that's who I want," Niki nodded. "Although, I would like to be there when Samson pounces on her again. She might not get up next time."

  Donna rose and paced, stopping every two or three steps to take a spoonful of ice cream covered with chocolate syrup.

  "I think we should concentrate on the girlfriend and the wife," she said between bites. "Women are more likely to hire someone else to kill than men. Men can't believe anyone can do anything better than themselves."

  "That's not true," Dalton responded.

  "Right–" Donna said sarcastically. Then she looked at both Dalton and Drexel. "Would either of you hire someone to kill another person, or would you do it?"

  "That's not fair," Drexel said. "We aren't like all the other guys in the world."

  "Spoken like a real man," Donna giggled. "All of you think you are special and more macho than all the other men on earth."

  "That's–"

  Dalton’s response was cut short by the explosion of a rifle shot and the shattering glass. Shards of the panes showered Donna in front of the exit. She immediately fell to the floor.

  The other three grabbed their weapons and took cover behind the furniture. Niki belly crawled over to her friend. Dark stains covered Donna’s face and blouse.

  "Hold on," Niki said, virtually in tears. "We'll get an ambulance headed this way."

  "Why?" Donna asked.

  "You were hit. You've got blood all over you."

  "I don't. I've got chocolate syrup all over me. I like eating it, but I don't like wearing it."

  Niki could not help herself. She burst into laughter. Donna looked at her with a confused expression.

  "Are you all right?" Donna asked.

  "Yeah, Honey. I'm just so relieved you are okay. Somebody thought you were me. I don't know what I would do if something bad happened to you again because of me."

  Dalton and Niki edged onto the veranda, keeping the over–sized chair between them in the woods. No shots. Dalton raced to the edge of the trees. He waited until his eyes adjusted to the darkness, gathering light from the distant stars and the reflection of the moon.

  He saw no movement in front of him but caught the motion of Niki positioning just inside the woods opposite of him. He moved to the next tree deeper within the open forest. Still no fire.

  After three more moves, he was confident the shooter was gone. There have been too many opportunities without drawing fire for the threat still to be dangerous.

  After a little searching, the pair found the spot of the ambush. Next to a big white oak, Niki spotted a brass casing. It was from a Remington.243.

  "He must've been in a hurry to leave this behind," she mused.

  "Too careless," Dalton added, glancing back toward the lodge. "I don't see a professional missing at this distance."

  "This one has a whole different feel to it."

  "Almost amateurish. I doubt if Paula would have been this sloppy. I think we have somebody else who doesn't like you."

  "Seems to be an ever-growing list," Niki chuckled. "And I won the Miss Congeniality award in school. I wonder where I went wrong."

  "When you started dating a politician," Dalton replied. "The only thing less popular than us are the Iranians, and from what I've heard, we're quickly gaining on them."

  "Getting shot at and having people trying to blow me up is getting old," Niki sighed.

  "Look on the bright side," Dalton said.

  "And that is?"

  "It is more exciting than watching Gilligan reruns."

  "I'm ready to get off this island," Niki trudged back toward the lodge.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Sunday night

  Jackson

  Dennis Hopper still shook. He had never before in his life tried to kill another human being. The car he drove swerved left and right, unable to stay in one lane.

  It was time to go back to his original plan. He would hire someone else to do his dirty work. Before, he had contacted a nefarious character in New Orleans. He was supposed to meet with a fellow tonight at the entrance to the Port Hudson Cemetery to go over the details and exchange the money.

  The money had been the primary reason for Dennis to make the attempt on his own. He was not rich and did not have fifty thousand dollars lying around. He took some from his savings plan and the rest from his IRA. He knew if his wife found out, he would have to come out with a great story.

  Dennis reflected on the shot he took back at the ranch. The figure on the other side of the door was directly in the sights, but something inside made him jerk off target at the moment he squeezed the trigger.

  He knew he was not a killer and never would be. That is why he decided to go through with meeting the fellow even though it went against every f
eeling in his body.

  Paula waited at the Port Hudson Cemetery. She was not sure who she was meeting. She got the information from a text on the cell phone retrieved from her companion when she posed as a nurse. She now regretted not keeping Guido alive long enough to ask more questions. But she had not.

  The assassin could feel the pressure building within. She already anticipated the outcome of this encounter, and the thoughts excited her. Even her fingers tingled when she spotted the man getting out of his vehicle.

  "I thought I was meeting a guy," the man said.

  "Well, you have me," Paula replied.

  "Did he tell you what I want?"

  "Yeah. Why don't you go ahead and tell me anyway just so there is no misunderstanding?"

  "I want–" Dennis had trouble saying it out loud.

  Paula was in no hurry. She would let him stumble and stutter without offering any help.

  "I need you to kill someone," Dennis finally uttered.

  Paula was confused. If this was the man who had ordered the companion to kill her after the last failed opportunity, he was not acting the way she had expected. She was ready for a showdown, her fingers never leaving the grip of the Glock hidden under her jacket. Something was wrong. Dead wrong.

  Chapter Fifty

  "Who do you want dead?" Paula asked.

  "It's a private investigator here in Central. Her name is Niki Dupre."

  "Hmm–why do you want Niki Dupre dead?"

  Paula tried to keep up with this confusing situation. The man had to know she, or someone had already I attempted to kill Niki. Then the realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. Her go-between had planned to collect twice for the same job.

  He had already received an offer to kill Niki before this man contacted him. Since the plan to kill the investigator was already in place, he had agreed to take another payment from a different client for the same job. He had not shared this information with Paula or offered her a double share. Paula was glad she had killed Guido.