by Jim Riley
"If she doesn't figure it out pretty soon, she won't live long enough to know better," Samson responded.
"I know. I love her just the way she is. So naïve and full of energy. I almost hate to burst that bubble."
"If you don't, someone like Paula will. And she won't be so nice about the way she does it."
"I'll have to think about putting Donna on the outside assignments. Her talents are best utilized with a computer in her hands. She can do things on the web I can't fathom. She is marvelous in that capacity."
"I agree with you. Value her strengths and make the maximum use of those. Heck, I still use the disc slot on my desktop as a coffee cup holder. That's the best way I use a computer. If I have to turn one on, then I'm lost."
"You've got so many other strengths. Surfing the net doesn't need to be one of them." Niki said.
"Where do we go from here?" Samson asked.
Niki shook her head and remained tight lipped for several seconds. Then a curious frown arose.
"I really don't know," she finally answered. "We embarrassed her by catching her in a trap. My best guess is she will do something big. Something out-of-the-box. But I don't have a clue what that might be."
Chapter One Hundred Eighteen
Lane Memorial Hospital
Niki was about to leave the hospital room. Chrissy Becker was in no danger from the wound in her shoulder. She moved freely with only slight discomfort. Her left arm was supported by a sling to prevent too much movement that might cause the shoulder to bleed again.
"I want to get out of here," Chrissy motioned toward the hospital room door. "There is no reason for me to stay here tonight."
"The doctor wants to make sure there is no additional damage to your nerves. Sometimes there is a delayed reaction with all the pain pills you took."
"I know, but–"
Chrissy's comment was interrupted by the sound of Niki's cell phone.
"Hello," Niki answered.
"Listen, or your friend will die," the voice answered.
"Who is this?" Niki asked although she already knew the answer to her own question.
"This is your new best friend," Paula answered.
"Where are you?"
"I'll tell you in a minute. First, I want to congratulate you on a game well played."
"Not well enough," Niki responded. "You're still free."
Paula laughed into the phone. "And I will be for a long time. Unlike your friend unless you cooperate."
"Is she okay?" Niki's first thought was of Donna.
"She is as far as I know," Paula giggled. "But he is not doing so well."
"What have you done to Drexel?" Niki demanded.
"You're not as quick as one would believe from your reputation." Paula relished having the advantage over her foe. "I don't have Drexel. I have that big galoot of a cop."
"Samson? You have Samson?" Niki's voice rose betraying the astonishment she felt.
"I've got him," Paula cooed. "But I'll make a deal with you to get him back."
"What do you want?"
"I want you to come along to the maze," Paula said.
The maze was the name given to an abandoned sixty-two acre tract on the north side of town. Developers began a subdivision, but after putting in the roads, the electricity and the water system went bankrupt.
It was the perfect place to test firearms, throw a midnight beer bash or dump unwanted garbage. The numerous grid patches between the roads were ideal for any number of shenanigans. The neighbors had long since become accustomed to local traffic streaming in and out of the maze at all hours of the day and night. It was the perfect place to hold a hostage.
"The maze?" Niki repeated, trying to think of a quick plan to rescue her big friend.
"That's right," Paula answered. "There's only one road in. I want you to come along. Park your SUV at the first turn to the right. It's only twenty yards from the entrance."
"Okay. Park my car at the first street," Niki repeated.
"Then walk to the end of the street and turn left."
Niki repeated the instructions.
"Then walk until I stop you. If I see anyone else, you will be attending the services of Chief Mayeaux."
"There's no reason to hurt him. I'm the one you want. Let him go and I'll come alone."
"I don't think so. As long as I have the big boy, I know you'll be here."
"When?"
"Fifteen minutes. If you're a minute late, he's a dead man."
The phone went silent. Niki raced for the door.
"Where are you going?" Chrissy yelled.
"To save my friend's life," Niki answered over her shoulder.
Chapter One Hundred Nineteen
Thursday night
The Maze
Niki called Drexel on her way over.
"Hey, I need you," she said. "Where are you?"
"In Baton Rouge at a fine dining establishment. But I've got a feeling I'll only have time for hors d'oeuvres."
"Unfortunately, Paula had Samson."
"Samson? How in the world?"
"I'm not sure how, but she has him."
"Where?" Drexel asked, already leaving money on the table.
"At the maze in Central," Niki said.
"I know where that is."
"Good. I've got to be there in fifteen minutes, or she will kill him."
"You know she will do that no matter what," Drexel said.
"But I can try to stall her until you get there, and we can come up with something," Niki sighed.
"Any ideas?"
"Not yet. But be careful. I have to park near the entrance and walk the rest of the way. If she sees you coming, then we're all dead."
"That would be most unfortunate."
"Hurry," Niki shouted and disconnected.
Clouds covered the stars when Niki parked the SUV at the first corner. She sat in the vehicle for a full minute with her lights off, trying to get her eyes adjusted. Then she edged out and began to walk.
Her normal easy gait was more restricted. She half expected to feel the penetration of lead at any moment. She did not anticipate fair play on behalf of Paula Netterville. Paula wanted to win, and would do so at any cost.
When she reached the end of the first street, the private investigator turned left. There was a cul-de-sac down the road about two hundred feet. A creek crossed through a culvert midway down. Niki figured Paula would be holding Samson at the center of the cul-de-sac. It was the most remote part of the entire abandoned subdivision.
She eased down the road, though there was really no need to be quiet. Paula could see or hear her long before she spotted the assassin. About every three steps, Niki reached behind her back and felt the grips of the revolver.
When she got to the culvert, she paused and took a deep breath. Niki was certain at least one person was about to die, and it very well could be herself. She took two more steps when the voice called out.
"Stop right there," Paula yelled.
A bright light came alive, its beam focused directly on Niki. When she turned she was looking right at it and could see nothing beyond.
"Why don't you start by dropping that little pea shooter behind your back?"
Niki removed the revolver and set it down on the pavement by her feet.
"Do you have another one?"
"No. That is the only one I carry."
"Show me," Paula demanded.
Niki pulled up her blouse and turned in a complete circle.
"All right, walk this way." Niki moved toward the center of the voice, which was positioned behind the blinding light.
"First, Samson?" She asked as she walked.
"He's okay," Paula paused. "Aren't you, Sugar?"
Niki heard groaning and rustling behind the light. She surmised Samson was bound and gagged. For a fleet second, she wondered how a petite little girl like Paula got the drop on the massive chief. Then her attention snapped back to the problems of the moment.
"How do
es it feel to be at my mercy?" Paula mewed.
"Do you plan on shooting me down?"
"That's about the gist of it. No sense in taking any chances, is there?"
"Then you'll never know which one of us is better. Do you really want to go to your grave without knowing that?"
"I can take you on my worst day of the year. You've led a soft life. Without that revolver, you aren't anything."
"I'm better than you," Niki goaded.
"Do you think you can get me to do something stupid?"
"I think you need to prove you're better than me, which will be better for your reputation?"
"But nobody will know either way," Paula stated.
"You can leave Samson alive. You've already humiliated him. You won over him. Let him be the witness to which one of us is better."
"Hmm–you're right. He's nothing but bait, and he's already served his purpose. Your friend will tell the whole world how I killed the great Niki Dupre."
Paula stepped in front of the lights. She held a nine millimeter Glock.
"Do you really need that?" Niki pointed at the gun.
"Nope." Paula laid it at her feet. "But I will use this."
Paula pulled out a razor knife identical to the one she hurled into Chrissy's shoulder.
"I thought we were going to play fair," Niki smiled and began circling.
"This is my way of playing fair. You're taller than me and have a reach advantage. This will even the odds a bit."
"A bit?" Niki feinted in and stepped back to avoid a wide slash from the assassin.
"You're quicker than you look." Paula threatened again with the knife. Niki sidestepped and landed a right cross on her opponent's shoulder.
"Too quick for you," Niki answered with another feint, her confidence growing.
"We'll see," Paula faked a jab with her right hand and slashed with her left, leaving a hole in Niki's blouse right above her belt buckle.
Niki staggered back.
"Did I forget to tell you I have two knives?" Paula sneered.
"You could have a dozen, and it wouldn't help you."
Paula faked with the knife in her left hand and thrust the one in her right hand at Niki's throat. Niki stepped to her left, formed a windmill, and smashed an elbow on top of Paula's arm. The assassin dropped the knife in her right hand.
"Now you're down to one," Niki said with a big grin.
"That's all I need," Paula screamed, then charged full speed right at the private investigator with her left hand making a series of figure eights in front.
Niki rolled forward and kicked Paula right above her belt line and below the swirling blade. The air rushed out of the petite girl with a gush. Immediately, Niki threw a karate chop onto the back of Paula's neck when the smaller fighter bent over. Paula collapsed on the pavement.
Chapter One Hundred Twenty
Niki picked up both knives, the Glock, and her .38 Smith & Wesson revolver before going over to the bound Mayeaux. He cursed a blue streak before she finished, using words known only to him.
"Calm down," she said. "It's over."
"It's not over until I go over there and kick her nasty little butt."
"You can't hurt her. We need to know who hired her."
Mayeaux reluctantly agreed. They went over and lifted the beaten assassin to her feet.
"Who hired you? Niki asked.
Paula mumbled something unintelligible. She made a slight attempt to break away, but Samson had a giant paw on her arm and a huge arm around the small girls neck.
"You ain't going nowhere, Honey," he said. "You might as well answer her question."
"I don't know," Paula spat. "Why do you think I was killing everybody?"
"Do you admit killing Omar Philbin, Guido, Clarice, Dennis, and David? And Alisha Philbin?"
"I had to. I didn't know which one tried to screw me."
The shot startled all three of them. Paula sagged between Samson and Niki, blood flowing from the hole in her chest. They let her slip to the ground. The young assassin quit breathing before she could form a fetal position.
"She couldn't answer you, but I can," Chrissy Becker stepped into the light.
"You?" Niki exclaimed. "But you loved Omar."
"That fat old man. I was only using him."
"For what? I don't get it."
"I will be the next Congresswoman for Central. I've already got a campaign war chest and I'm about out of competition."
"You were the one that took a shot at Jimmy and framed George Thomas?" Niki asked.
"Of course. I'm the only one smart enough to put all this together. It actually worked out better than I expected."
"Paula did the heavy hauling. She killed all the other candidates for you."
"Wasn't that nice? But you kept getting in the way."
"But how can you run? You would already have to be on the ballot."
"I am. I'm a novelty candidate that nobody ever notices. But I had to get rid of them before the primary. Somebody would have noticed."
"Why did you get rid of Paula before she finished?"
"She tried to kill me last night. I couldn't let her keep trying. Now, I'll get rid of you two and I'll be home free."
"Not exactly, Madame," Drexel Robinson placed the barrel of the .44 Magnum against the back of Chrissy's head.
"I was beginning to wonder if you stopped her doughnuts," Niki chuckled.
"Just wanted to let the little Miss Barbie tell us everything while I recorded it. I believe she may have some difficulty explaining her confession to a jury."
"They'll never convict me. They're too stupid and I'm too smart."
"Not smart enough to keep your mouth shut. My recorder is still running and most jurors hate to be called stupid."
Niki smiled, waited for Samson to place a pair of cuffs on Chrissy and then gave both men a giant hug.
"How did you figure it out?" Samson asked Niki.
"I eliminated all of the people who could not have hired Paula. Kenny and Jimmy are included on that list. That pretty much left one person."
"But you were sure it was Chrissy?"
"After I checked the list of novelty candidates, I saw her name, and then I was absolutely certain. It had to be her. I needed Drexel to record her confession. That's why I led her on."
Samson kissed the top of the strawberry blonde's head.
Niki looked down at Paula.
"It's a shame. She could have done anything in this world she had a desire to do."
Samson snorted. "That's exactly what she did."
THE END
Notes
Murder In Louisiana Politics is the fourth of over twenty full-length novels and twenty-five short stories in the Niki Dupre series. It features the dynamic martial arts expert facing even greater challenges.
I have taken a great literary license with the geography and data of Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas. It is a wonderful city and a great way to experience Cajun culture. I live here and find it to be one of the most desirable places on earth if you enjoy the outdoors, great cuisine, and remarkable people.
There are so many people to thank:
My family, Linda, Josh, Dalton & Jade
David and Sara Sue
C D and Debbie Smith
My brother and sister-in-law, Bill & Pam
My sister, Debbie
My sister-in-law and her husband, Brenda & Jerry
The Sunday School class at Zoar Baptist
Jeff Trout and Chris Hall, two real men who stood beside me during my darkest hours. Jeff tried to teach me about Kempo, the ancient Chinese martial art. He soon found out I’m a slow learner.
Any mistakes, typos, and errors are my fault and mine alone. If you would like to get in touch with me, go to my website at http://jimrileyweb.wix.com/jimrileybooks.
Thank you for reading Murder in Louisiana Politics, and hope you will also enjoy the rest of my books.
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