Steve’s Shorts: You Know I’m Watching (cont)…
You Know I’m Watching
A “Detectives Chen and Castilblanco” Homicide Case
Copyright 2018, Steven M. Moore
Chapter Four
Ralph didn’t make it. My knee-jerk reaction was that remorse was the cause for the OD. Chen returned from the hospital to join me again in yet another wait for the CSU to finish up at his apartment, their work more complicated now because it was a two-room place with two guys in each bedroom. They found a lot of young-guy stuff, but Ralph had been hooked for a while. Maybe even in the Academy? Thought of all the young lives ruined by OD-ing on prescription painkillers. Still a national epidemic, with unscrupulous doctors and pharmaceutical suppliers getting filthy rich. The latter’s “mea culpa and we’ll do better” full-page ads were still regular features in the Times, meaning that they were still part of the problem!
We found no guns. My knee-jerk reaction had been wrong. Not the first time.
Leaned against the wall and checked out Kerri and Joe on my phone. Kerri was a real grandmother who was trying to complement her Social Security check with work at the coffee bar. Joe had an interesting past. He’d fought in ‘Nam. Sort of matched his age. Showed his record to Chen.
“You should have checked him before,” she said. “He’d have experience with firearms.”
“A medic? Come on. Their jobs were to try to make the pain go away as our boys died over there. Battlefield hospitals weren’t great back then, and, out in the rice paddies, there weren’t any at all, just the medics. I had several uncles who were there. Bad gig.”
“Not to mention the PTSD if they returned,” said Chen.
“They didn’t call it that back then. Don’t think they even had a name for it. Anyway, I don’t think an ex-medic can be our sniper. Not a lot of firearm experience there.”
“Precisely.” I looked at her, eyebrows raised. “The sniper went for a head shot and missed.”
Nodded. Saw her point. “Could explain why ye wee coffee bar was closed. Let’s try to find old Joseph.”
***
We found Kerri first. She was pacing in front of the coffee bar. We flashed our badges.
“Thank you for coming so fast. The shop was closed when I arrived. Something must have happened to Joe. He’s always here.”
Winked at Chen. NYPD was getting a good rep here for its immediate response to calls. “I suppose you called,” I said. She nodded. “We’re here about old Joe, but not in response to your call.”
She looked confused. “So something has happened to him?”
I went through the recent events involving old Joe and Ralph.
“Sorry ‘bout Ralph. Didn’t know he had problems. One of my grandsons had a sports injury and got hooked. We worry ‘bout him. Can’t afford rehab, but he’s now in a free help group.”
“So no idea where your boss is?” said Chen, getting us back on track.
“Maybe home sick? But you said he was just here.”
“Tell us about Sharon Hill,” I said. “She was a frequent client, I take it.”
Kerri thought a moment. “Yes, nice woman. She did the books for Joe under the table.”
Looked at Chen and then back at Kerri. “You mean his taxes?”
“Joe’s not very together. Hardly kept the personal separated from the business. He’d hand her shoe boxes full of papers, and she’d make sense out of it all.”
“Did she charge him?” said Chen.
Kerri glared at Chen. “What don’t you understand ‘bout under the table? Sharon and Joe were friends. At least, as friendly as two misfits could be. Lotta misfits in this city, ma’am. I came close to bein’ homeless a few times myself.”
Nodded. “Where does Joe live?”
She told us, and we headed there.
(To be continued…)
***
Comments are always welcome.
Aristocrats and Assassins. #4 in the “Detectives Chen and Castilblaco Series,” this mystery/thriller novel initially finds Castilblanco on vacation in Europe with his wife and Chen in China trying to track down a scheme to finance terrorism activities—one terrorist in particular. When European aristocrats start being kidnapped, the two detectives join forces again. The kidnappers don’t want ransoms, though. What do they want? This most international story in the series takes readers on a thrilling tour of Europe as the detectives uncover a nefarious plan to wreak revenge against those who fight terrorism. (Interpol Agent Bastiann van Coevorden, protagonist in Rembrandt’s Angel, makes his first appearance here.) This ebook is on sale now at Smashwords for $0.99, but only for a week.
Note: There won’t be any posts on December 24, 25, and 26. Happy holidays!
Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!
