

J W Metcalf

JWMetcalf@optonline.net

Http://authorjwmetcalf.wordpress.com

From the Case Files of Tony Gavel:

Wasted Space

by J W Metcalf

WASTED SPACE

By JW Metcalf

Copyright 2012 JW Metcalf

Smashwords Edition

Sunday Morning

October in the Big City was usually cold and damp and today was no exception. It was just starting to rain and it didn't help that I got no sleep last night due to my buddies' retirement party. I didn't want to stay late knowing I had some important paperwork to finish up, but Stan could talk people into doing anything.

I exited the elevator on the 3rd floor and made my way down the hall. There were a few paintings along the wall that the landlord put up a few months ago. He said he wanted to add some class to the building.

"I hate working Sundays." I mumbled as I walked down the hall. As I got closer to my door I could see my name stenciled in the glass.

Tony Gavel

Private Investigator

It took me a long time to work my way up in the business to own a office like this in one of the nicer sections of town. I noticed that the door was jimmied open.

"I don't need this shit. I should have stayed home." I said as I pulled Louise, my 38 special from the shoulder holster.

I put my ear to the door and listened for a few moments. Not hearing any movement, I slowly pushed the door open with my foot, and entered my office with Louise leading the way. The office was a mess. My filing cabinet was open and papers were scattered every where.

I looked around the office. It looked like every file was tossed onto the ground. A quick check in the bathroom showed that the office was empty. I slipped Louise back in the holster and planted myself in my chair, thumping my head down onto my desk. I heard a noise at the door and looked up. Standing in my doorway was a raven haired beauty; dressed in a black, form fitting, turtle neck sweater with black dress slacks. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion as they scanned over the room.

"Excuse me. I was looking for Tony Gavel. I must be in the wrong place."

"I'm Tony Gavel. You got the right place. The maid had the day off today."

It sounded cheeky when it came out of my mouth but what did I expect. Women were not my strong suit. She gave the office a dubious glance once again and then looked at me. I was not ready for clients today. My hair was a mess and I could feel the stubble on my face. It was definitely not one of my best first impressions. I quickly got up and started pushing papers away with my foot making a path for her.

"Have a seat miss?"

"Talbert. Merissa Talbert."

"Have a seat Miss Talbert. Can I get you something? Would you like some coffee or tea?"

I turned to look for the coffee pot I kept in the office and noticed it was broken on the floor.

"It just keeps getting better and better Tony." I mumbled to myself as I looked over at Miss Talbert. Her eyes were scanning the office and she had that look of someone not sure if she was doing the right thing.

"Nothing for me thanks. Are you sure this isn't a bad time? By the look of things, you seem to have your hands full at the moment."

I slumped back in my chair and looked around the office one more time and took a deep breath. Her nose twitched with disgust as the stench of alcohol could be smelled throughout the room.

"I'm sorry about the mess. I just walked in myself. Someone's not happy with me, but I assure you I'm ready to help you if I can."

Merissa looked around the room one last time and then fixed her eyes on me. I could tell she was nervous about something by the way she kept fidgeting in her seat and clenching her hands. I wanted to put her at ease.

"Ms. Talbert. You came here for a reason. I can't help if someone broke into my office. I know the way I look right now leaves a lot to be desired. I was at a retirement party last night. Regardless, I can still perform my job and will help you the best I can. I just need to know why you came to me today."

"I am looking for a man."

"I am not a dating service."

Merissa gave me a withering stare.

"I know that Mr. Gavel. I heard that you specialized in missing persons and a friend of mine is missing. I was supposed to meet him Friday night and he didn't show up."

I took out my pad and pencil from the desk so I could take some notes.

"What was his name? What does he do for a living? Do you have a picture of him?"

"His name is Jim Cooper. He's my husband's business partner. They own a chain of storage unit lots. Save Space Inc."

As Mrs. Talbert was talking I was drawn to her full ripe lips. Her almond shaped eyes, the color of smoked glass, were looking at me as she continued to tell her tale. I couldn't help but notice the beauty of this woman sitting before me. My eyes drifted down her body and I noticed myself staring at her overdeveloped breasts. She was definitely not lacking in that department. After a few moments I realized that she stopped talking. I quickly looked up at her and smiled sheepishly.

"Save Space Inc. I heard of them. Your husband owns that? I see them all over the place. Why were you meeting Jim on Friday night? Where were you supposed to see him? What time was the meeting?"

Mrs. Talbert looked at me annoyed and began speaking once more.

"If you were paying attention to me instead of looking at me like a piece of meat you might have gotten that information Mr. Gavel."

Another blunder when it comes to women. When am I going to learn?

"I was supposed to meet Jim Friday night around eight pm at the Crossroads Diner. Jim usually gets out of work around seven or so and we were meeting to go over some information he had found out, but didn't want to my husband knowing about it just yet."

"What was the information? And why wouldn't he tell his business partner? Something doesn't add up here."

I could tell from her body language and the way she spoke Jim's name that there was something more going on.

"I have no idea what he was going to tell me. He called me again Friday afternoon to confirm our meeting. He sounded urgent on the phone and didn't want to say anything until we were face to face. When he didn't show for our appointment, I called his cell phone and got no answer. I tried again on Saturday throughout the day, but got no answer as well. He never showed up for work on Saturday. I went to his house around one thirty in the afternoon, but I couldn't get through the gate. No one was answering the buzzer. I'm worried that something may have happened to him."

I looked at her skeptically.

"Let's cut to the chase. You were sleeping with the guy and he stood you up. When you tried to hunt him down on Saturday, you couldn't get a hold of him. If he was really missing why wouldn't you just call the police?"

I could tell I hit it right on the head. Her face got flushed and she began fidgeting in her chair.

"It's true. I'm having an affair with Jim. I've been having one for about a year. He's never missed a rendezvous, so that's why I'm worried. I would like to keep this secret and not get the police or my husband involved. I'm really worried for Jim. Do you think you can help me?"

"Did you guys have a fight? Maybe he was going to break it off with you and decided not to meet you. You are married. Maybe he just wants something more attainable and moved on?"

"I assure you that's not the case Mr. Gavel. We planned this night all week. We were both looking forward to it. My husband was going to be working late and we hadn't seen each other in over a week."

I looked her over and could tell that she was worried about Jim. I believed she was telling me the truth.

"I'm sure I can help you Mrs. Talbert, but I don't come cheap. It will be $500 dollars up front, and another $50 a day plus expenses, payable upon closure of the case. I'll give you a detailed report of my findings and check in on you every couple of days to give you a progress report."

Merissa pulled out her check book.

"Do you take checks Mr. Gavel?"

"Cash only. I've had problems in the past with bad checks. I'm not saying that there will be a problem, it's just that I prefer cash. It comes in handy for paying people for information and other things that arise during the investigation."

She reached into her pocketbook and pulled out her wallet.

"I'm not sure I carry that kind of cash on me, but I'm sure I can get what you need by the end of the day."

She took out whatever cash she had and handed it over. It was three hundred dollars. I got out my receipt book and filled her out a receipt for the money.

"This will do for now and help me get started. I'll need his address and phone number, cell phone number, date of birth. If you have a picture of him it will help me a great deal."

She wrote down the information I requested and handed me a picture of him.

"I want to remind you to keep this between us Mr. Gavel. There's no need to get my husband involved. Any information you find, you can call me on my cell phone and leave a message."

I wrote it down on the piece of paper.

"Is there anything else you need?" Merissa asked me.

I took a look at the piece of paper and the notes I wrote and shook my head.

"This will do for now. If I need anything else I'll call you. If you could get me the rest of that money by tomorrow, I'd appreciate it. Is there anything else I need to know?"

Merissa shook her head. I gestured around the room at the mess.

"There's something I have to do first. I should be able to get started by this afternoon."

Merissa Talbert stood up. I got out of my chair and walked her to the door. She looked around the room one more time and shook her head.

"I hope to hear from you soon Mr. Gavel."

With that she walked out of my office and never looked back. I took another look around my office and sighed. This was going to be a long day. I took the money off my desk and stuck it in my pocket. If only I hadn't stayed at the party so long.

I ran a background check on Jim Cooper while I started cleaning my office. It took me a few hours, but I got everything cleaned up. All my files were back in order. I couldn't find anything missing and I noticed that the copy machine was still off. I assumed whoever did this never found what they were looking for. I brought up my last case to finish up the paper work. I had to track down a missing spouse. A dead beat dad left his wife and three children with no warning. There was a judgment against him, but he never showed up in court. It took me a few days, but I found him holed up with a college buddy and served him with the papers. The wife was happy with my work and tried to give me a bonus, but I refused. The man was lucky to have found love and threw it all away. If I had what he did, I would cherish it forever. I would make it work, no matter the cost.

Once I was done writing up my report, I checked on the progress of Jim Cooper's background check. The credit header information came back first. Credit header information is information from the credit bureau that pertains to a person, but does not directly relate to credit. They sell this information to "Data Suppliers" who turn around and sell it to private investigators. The different types of information that could be found is as follows: Name and previous names, date of birth, social security number, current and previous addresses, telephone numbers, relatives, current and previous employment, etc... If you know where to look, you could usually find out most things.

I looked over the report.

James Douglas Cooper was born 03-12-69. It had a few addresses that I wrote down in case he might be hiding out. It listed Save Space Inc as his current job, before that he worked for Edger and Son's as a sales manager. He had no relatives listed on the report. It had three phone numbers listed, so I wrote them all down. The report also showed some other pieces of information that Data Suppliers throw in from time to time. Jim Cooper owned a boat named "Magpie" and a Mercedes-Benz. He's never had a lien or judgment against him and has never claimed bankruptcy.

I gathered up my notes and headed out. All in all, It was looking to be a good day. I had some money in my pocket and a new case to crack.
Sunday Afternoon

As I exited my building, I saw Arthur Freedman. Arthur was the owner of the deli across the street. I waved to him to stop for a second and made my way across the street.

"Hey Arthur, I need to ask you something."

"Did you have a rough time last night Gavel? Next time try parking in the street."

I looked over at my rusted out Monte Carlo, smartly named Rust Bucket, and noticed I was parked on the curb. For a car that looks like crap it runs great.

"You know how retirement parties can get." I said shrugging and looked back at Arthur. "Did you noticed anyone suspicious coming in or out of my building today?"

Arthur shook his head.

"I've been here since 3am. I haven't seen anyone enter or leave your place. I've been pretty busy this morning though. I had a lot of deliveries today. Why do you ask?"

"Someone tossed my office today."

Arthur's eyes widened in alarm. After a minute he regained his composure and spoke.

"Come to think of it. There was this one guy. He was parked in front of your building for a good 45 minutes. I thought it odd that a seafood truck would be parked in front of your place."

"Did the truck have a name on it?"

Arthur thought about it for a few moments.

"I'm pretty sure the name on the truck was Big City Seafood. I thought it odd that he parked on your side."

"Thanks Arthur. I owe you one."

I made my way to the address Merissa gave me and found myself in a nice upper class neighborhood. Jim's house was situated on a big parcel of land with a gate surrounding his property. Trees lined the driveway going all the way up to the house obstructing my view. I parked Rust Bucket down the block, walked to the gate and hit the call button.

After a few minutes, no one answered. I began walking along the fence, trying to find a good spot to scramble over the wall. I tried calling the number Merissa gave me to see if Jim would pick up, but no luck.

"I guess I better do this sooner or later." I mumbled.

The fence was low enough for me to grab the top if I jumped. I had to give it to Jim, owning a storage unit chain brought him in a lot of money. The house was set back into the woods. I went around back and knocked on the door. Listening carefully I heard no movement. The house might be worth a lot of money, but almost all locks are the same. I put on my gloves, took out my lock pick set and made quick work of the door's lock allowing me to slip inside. The house was dark and I could hear music playing in one of the far off rooms. I worked my way through the house, not making a sound.

I headed for the music. I stopped in the entrance way to a broad living room. I peeked around the corner and realized why no one was answering the door or phone.

Jim was slumped back on the couch, laying in a pool of blood with a gun in his hand. He was dressed in a pair of black pinstripe dress pants and a yellow silk shirt and tie. I could see a bunch of letters on the coffee table in front of him. I went to the body, careful not to step in any blood or disturb anything in the room. I reached down to check his pulse. Not finding one I looked around and noticed the blood was dry.

"This didn't happen recently. Why did you do it Jim?"

I took a look at the letters and noticed they were from Merissa. There were three in all. They seemed to be love letters.

The first letter was about confessing her love for him and complaining about her husband. Complaining about how unhappy she was. How glad she was that they found each other.

The second letter was about how she couldn't wait to leave her husband and be with Jim all the time. How she loved being with him and spending long afternoons in his house etc...

The last letter said she was never going to leave her husband and that he should move on. She was trying to reconcile with him and work things out. It also said that Jim should just forget about her, she was not going to be seeing him anymore.

I took the letters and put them in my pocket to show Merissa in the morning. After I looked around the room, not finding anything out of the ordinary, I went into his office that was in the adjacent room.

It was a typical office. A big wooden desk was in the corner next to a window looking out onto the side of the property. A laptop was on the desk.

I noticed that it was still running. Merissa said things were going good between them and gave no mention she was calling it off. Hell, she wouldn't have hired me if she didn't care about him anymore.

Being somewhat technologically savvy, I began going through his browser history to see what he was doing the last day before his death, maybe find some insight into why he would commit suicide. He went to a few travel websites, checked out some sports scores from the night before and did some work on his company's website. I checked it out and wrote down the address and contact numbers that were on the site.

I found a security program on his computer and pulled it up. It showed different cameras located throughout his property. I looked back the last few days and saw that Friday's footage was erased from the program. I also noticed that the cameras were not recording now. There were no recordings from Thursday night to the present. Another oddity, but maybe he disconnected it.

I erased everything I did on the computer, closed it again, and made my way back to my car.

I called my buddy Dwight. Dwight was a detective for the Big City police department. He answered on the second ring.

"Dwight O'Toole."

"Hey Dwight, it's me Gavel. I have something for you."

"Hey Tony, Whatcha got?"

"I was hired to find Jim Cooper, part owner of Save Space Inc. He never showed up for a meeting on Friday night and never came to work on Saturday. During the course of my investigation I came across his body in his home. It looks like the guy took the easy way out, a bullet to the side of his head."

"Shit Tony. There are always bodies around when you are on a case. What's the address?"

I gave him Jim's address. I heard Dwight say something to someone, but couldn't quite make out what it was.

"A car is on the way. I hope you didn't do anything illegal Tony. How did you just happen to find a body in this guy's house?"

"I thought I saw someone prowling around the house. As a concerned citizen I checked it out. I noticed the back door was open and I called you right away before I entered. I went into the house to see if I could find the prowler and that's when I found the body on the living room couch."

"You're full of shit Tony. For your sake I hope you didn't disturb anything or touch anything. I don't need to be explaining to the captain why your fingerprints are all over the place next to a dead body. He's still kinda pissed at you."

I gave out a laugh. "I quit the force years ago; he's still harping on that shit. Tell him to get over it."

"I'd rather not have to say anything about you if I could avoid it. You tell the captain that. You know how he is." Dwight paused for a moment listening to someone. "So the guy put one in his head? Anything else you can tell me?"

I watched as a police cruiser came down the block and parked in front of the gate.

"All I can really tell you is that the body has been sitting there a few days. The blood was dried and the last time my client spoke to him was Friday afternoon."

The cops began arriving at the house and I could see the medical examiner appear as well. One of the cops used an access code on the security pad next to the gate and the gates swung open. I figured it was time for me to split.

"If you need anything else give me a call. I'm going to speak to my client in the morning and close this case out. There is one other thing I want to talk to you about, but it can wait until tomorrow. You have your hands full for the next few hours."

"Will do Tony, give me a call tomorrow."

Before I could respond Dwight already hung up the phone. I'll have to meet up with Merissa and show her the letters. I kind of felt bad for the lady, but at least now she can stop worrying about where he is and begin the grieving process. The rain was beginning to let up as I started up the car. I know how she will feel when I break the news to her. I drove past Hector's Wine and Spirits and my face twisted in anguish. A tear rolled down my cheek as I was reminded of Mary. I haven't thought about Mary for a while now. Life would be different if she was still alive. We would be married by now. Probably have a kid or at least one on the way. Guilt wracked my body and the tears began to flow. I knew exactly how Merissa Talbert will feel when I break the news to her. She will feel the way I do now.

"I love you Mary." I whispered as Hector's faded away from my sight.
Sunday Evening

I pulled into my driveway just as the sun was beginning to set. My watch said it was 6:15 and as my stomach began to growl I realized I hadn't eaten all day. I grabbed the stack of bills from the mailbox and headed into the house. I slipped my coat and shoulder holster onto the rack next to the door.

"Here Milo. Where are you boy?" I gave out a sharp whistle, but Milo didn't come. I heard him barking upstairs. The fool must have locked himself in one of the bedrooms again. I went upstairs and opened up my bedroom door and Milo almost knocked me down the stairs as he rushed past. Milo was a small dog, but a little pudgy around the middle. He was brownish in color and one of the nicest beagles around.

I followed Milo downstairs and he was sitting next to my office door barking.

"What is it boy? You left something inside?"

I opened the door, but Milo just sat at the door looking up at me. I sighed and entered the room. Before I had a chance to react, some goon came running towards me from behind the office door and slammed me into the bookcase knocking me off my feet. It knocked the wind out of me and I smacked my head on the floor, making me dizzy. I saw Milo run back up the stairs afraid of the loud noises. The goon's foot came slamming into my ribs again and again. I tried to get into a fetal position to give him as little room as possible to hurt me while I tried to clear my head.

After a few moments that seemed like an eternity, I began seeing fewer stars and tried to get up. I saw a foot coming towards my head. I grabbed and twisted it, knocking the goon off his feet, giving me the time I needed to get up.

My body was still a little sluggish from the knock to the head, but at least I was on my feet.

As I was trying to regain my balance, the goon lunged at my legs and tried to tackle me to the ground. I jumped to the side and grabbed one of the books off the bookcase and smacked him in the back of the head as he went by.

I dropped the book and grabbed the goon by his collar and jacket and lifted him up off the ground. Not an easy feat, even for someone like me who is just topping six feet and weighing in at almost two hundred and ten pounds. I slammed him on top of my desk and pushed him head first across the desk onto the floor. I must have grabbed him by his jacket pocket because it tore off in my hand.

"Next time bring a buddy." I said to him as I walked around the desk getting ready to finish the fight and find out who hired him. As I turned the corner of my desk the goon was laying on his stomach. I reached down to flip him over when his hand came up to my chest. What felt like a thousand watts of electricity zapped through my body. Last thing I saw was a taser in the goons hand as I went down for the count.

I woke up with Milo sitting next to me.

"Some watch dog you are." I croaked. My head was pounding and my body was all tingly.

I woozily got to my feet and looked around the room. It looked just like my work office. Papers and books were strewn all across the floor and my bookcase was broken. I stumbled to the bathroom and grabbed some aspirin. As I looked in the mirror, I saw a gash across my forehead from when I was slammed into the bookcase. I was a mess.

"You look like shit." I said to myself in the mirror. "What the hell could this guy want and who hired him? Two times in one day is not a coincidence."

I washed out the cut and slapped on some butterfly bandages to stop the bleeding. I went to my coat to grab my phone. That's when I noticed Louise was missing.

"Shit. Things keep getting better and better." I looked down at Milo and shook my head. He barked at me and wandered into the kitchen.

I snatched my phone and called Dwight. He picked up on the second ring like usual.

"Hey Dwight, it's me again. I got a problem and need you to come over."

"What is it now Gavel?" He said with a bit of impatience creeping into his voice. "Find another body?"

"Worse. I was jumped in my own house and Louise was stolen."

"Shit Tony. I'll be there in an hour. I'm just finishing up here at the Cooper house. Just sit tight and don't do anything stupid."

Dwight hung up the phone as I sat down on the edge of the desk looking at the messy office. That's when I noticed a matchbook on the floor. I picked it up and it said on the cover 'The Watering Hole'.

"The asshole probably dropped it when I ripped his jacket."

The Watering Hole was a little bar on the pier near the shipping yards. I slipped the match book into my pocket and went into the living room to wait for Dwight.

Within the hour Dwight was at my house and looking over the office. Dwight was an intimidating figure to say the least. He towered over me at 6 foot 5 inches and was built like a brick wall. He must have been pushing close to 300 pounds. He was an all American line backer in college and decided to go into law enforcement after an injury to his knee knocked him out of a shot to play in the NFL. For all his size and muscle the one thing that stood out about Dwight was his hair. He had the silliest looking afro. I doubt anyone in their right mind would tell him that, except for his wife Paddy maybe. He was the only Irish/African American I knew. He took no shit, but was loyal to his friends and coworkers.

"Someone must have it in for you." Dwight was saying, his face hardening.

"This is the second time today I walked into an office like this. When I got to work this morning my office looked just like this. At least no one jumped me there."

Dwight blinked with surprise at my statement and turned to look at me.

"You're telling me," As his jaw began to clench "that this is the second time someone broke into your offices today and you never thought to call the police? What's wrong with you? If you have a problem call us. That's why we're here. Let us do our job." Dwight sighed and looked around the room one more time.

At this point Milo decided to walk in and sit on Dwight's shoes. Dwight loved Milo and was there when Milo adopted me during a case we were on. A family got murdered and Milo was found hiding in a closet. He was nothing more then a little pup at the time. When I opened the closet door, Milo rushed over to me and wouldn't leave my side the rest of the night. I wound up bringing him home after Dwight talked me into it. Dwight reached down and gave Milo a scratch behind the ears and Milo licked him for his efforts.

Dwight took out a pad and pen and was looking at me. "So tell me what happened. Start when you went to work this morning. I walked into the living room and sat on the couch gesturing Dwight to do the same.

"I got to the office early today to finish up some paperwork. It was probably shortly after 9. As I walked down the hallway I noticed my door was jimmied open. I went inside and all my files were scattered throughout the room. The guy didn't leave anything unturned. While I was looking around the room, Merissa Talbert came in. It was close to 9:30 by this time. Merissa Talbert is the wife of Anthony Talbert, Jim Cooper's business partner. She was supposed to meet Jim for a meeting at the Crossroads Diner Friday night but he never showed. She hired me to find Jim Cooper."

Dwight was taking notes as I talked.

"Why didn't she call the police, was she having an affair with Jim?"

I shook my head. "She said they were supposed to meet because Jim found out some information and didn't want the husband to know about it just yet."

Dwight wrote it all down and gave me a dubious expression.

"Did she mention what the information was?"

Again I shook my head.

"She never mentioned it and I could tell from her body language that she had no idea what it could be. She was puzzled by it. She told me she tried calling him a few times and got no answer and the next day she stopped by the house, but the gate was locked and no one was answering. She tried calling him throughout the day, but he never answered and he never returned any of her calls. After I cleaned up my office I figured I'd start my investigation at his house. When I got there no one answered the buzzer and I didn't want to waste the trip so I scaled the fence and took a look around. I called you when I found the body and headed home. I got to my house and hung my coat and Louise by the door, like I usually do. I made my way to the office and that's when I got blindsided by the goon and he knocked me into the bookcase. We fought for a few minutes and I was finally getting the upper hand when the bastard stunned me. I woke up and looked around the house and that's when I noticed Louise was missing. I never saw the guy before in my life. He was about 6 foot and weighed close to two hundred pounds or so, slightly out of shape. He had short black hair. Almost a buzz cut. No tattoos that I noticed or piercings."

Dwight wrote everything down and said to me "In the morning you should come by and talk to a sketch artist. If we're lucky the guy might be in the system. Anything else that you can remember?"

"That's about it. If I remember anything else I'll call you. Thanks Dwight. I want Louise back. This bastard is not going to get away with this."

Dwight looked at me sternly. "Don't be stupid. I'm warning you. If you find out who the guy is let me know and we will take care of it. I know your going to go off half cocked and look for this guy. I don't want any trouble because of this. I've known you for years Tony. Don't make me regret it."

I didn't respond. I just got up and shook Dwight's hand and walked him out. I took Milo for a walk and was busy thinking about the goon. Was the matchbook from one of his hangouts? What the hell was he looking for in the first place? I really needed to go over my old cases. After Milo was done doing his business I went back inside and cleaned up my office while Milo watched me.

"Next time bite someone that comes in the house will ya." I said to him sternly.

Milo lied down and put his paws over his head. I had to laugh. He always knew how to cheer me up. It didn't take me long to clean up the office and I finished in record time. My bookcase was broken and I would have to get a new one. Nothing was missing except Louise. My eyes were burning from lack of sleep. It was time to call it a day.
Monday Morning

I awoke with a pounding headache. The knock to my head the night before must have been harder than I thought. I really should go have it checked out in case I have a concussion. I made my way to the bathroom and grabbed some aspirin and took a long hot shower.

I shaved the stubble off my face and got dressed. After a quick breakfast it was close to 9am. I made a call to Merissa.

"Good morning Mrs. Talbert. I need to see you today."

It sounded like she just woke up as she spoke groggily into the phone.

"If it's about the rest of you money Mr. Gavel, I have it. I went to the ATM yesterday."

"It's not that. I found Jim."

Merissa seemed to get a jolt of energy but sounded a bit concerned.

"Is he ok? Where was he the last few days?"

"I'll be over within the hour if that's ok? There is something I need to show you, but I would rather do it in person."

I could hear her moving around as she spoke.

"That's fine. I'll be ready for you."

I hung up the phone and put the letters, I took from Jim's house, in my pocket. I grabbed my spare .38 special I kept locked in my closet. After a quick MapQuest, I hopped into my car and made my way to Merissa's house. During the drive over I was thinking about last night and what I found at Jim's house and the letters. Things didn't add up. Why would the man commit suicide over a break up with Merissa when she told me that things were going fine between them?

I pulled into her neighborhood and whistled.

"I'm in the wrong business."

Each house on the small block was nicer than the last one. I pulled into her driveway and saw a black and gold Mercedes parked in the driveway. Her house was well landscaped. I could probably fit three of my houses onto her property. My car definitely stuck out in a neighborhood like this. As I was getting out of my car the front door opened. Merissa was standing in the doorway wearing a kimono. Her hair was damp and the kimono stuck to her showing off her generous curves. My eyes took in every inch of her. She was every bit as gorgeous as I remembered from yesterday. In that moment I knew that Jim did not commit suicide. Why would he kill himself knowing he was going to be exploring every inch of her Friday night? Hell she made my blood boil and I didn't even know her.

"She's a married woman and a client. Get a hold of yourself." I muttered to myself, regaining my composure. I really need to get out more.

Merissa waved to me and said "I just got out of the shower. Come in and make yourself comfortable. I'll only be a few minutes. Let me get dressed then show me what you got."

I followed her into the house. The inside was just as luxurious as the outside. She walked into the living room.

"Have a seat. I'll be right back."

I watched her leave the room as I took a seat on a large custom leather black couch. Her backside swaying as she walked.

The living room was the size of my living room, kitchen and bathroom all in one. A giant flat screen TV hung on the wall with all the latest gadgets to go along with it. There was a marble coffee table in front of the couch and I could see some fancy paintings lining the walls.

On the table were: The Daily Times newspaper, a couple of home decorating magazines and various entertainment ones as well. A box of tissues sat next to the universal remote.

To the left through an archway was the dining room and along the right wall I could see a door leading into an office. Merissa Talbert was use to the finer things in life. Everything screamed of money when you looked around the room. After a few minutes, Merissa walked into the room wearing some black designer pants and white silk blouse. Her hair was dry and she was all made up. She handed me an envelope while she sat beside me on the couch. I could smell the faint scent of roses coming from her body.

"Here's the rest of your money I owed you Mr. Gavel. $200 from the down payment and another $50 for the rest of your fee. Plus a little bonus for such fast results. Now tell me what you found out? Where is he? Has he said anything?"

I took the envelope from her and slide it into my jacket pocket. I hated breaking bad news to people. I figured the best way to do it would be blunt and to the point.

"Jim Cooper's dead."

Merissa's eyes took on a haunted look and her body began to tremble. Tears began welling up and flowed down her cheeks. I could see the blood draining from her face from the news. Her breathing became faster and it looked like she might be having a panic attack. I've seen this many times before and knew the best thing to do was ride it out and be there if they needed you for anything. I handed her a tissue and waited for her to speak.

When she finally calmed down, her voice was a whisper when she spoke.

"What happened? How did it happen? Where did you find him?"

She was doing a very good job of keeping herself in control, but I could tell by her body language and facial expressions that she was in pain.

"Late yesterday afternoon. I found him at house. He had a gun in his hand. It looked like he shot himself in the head."

I watched her recoil with horror at what I was saying. I pressed on.

"I found a few things that I wanted to show you, to try and make sense of this all. You said things were going good between you correct?"

She nodded as she wiped her eyes with the tissue.

"I found a bunch of letters lying on the table. They seem to be from you."

I handed her the letters.

"Take a look at these and see what you could tell me about them."

A frown was forming on her face as she went through the first letter. She put it down and read the second letter.

"I didn't write these. The only letters I ever wrote to him were from the business. I would never leave something like this in writing for my husband to see."

As she read the third letter her face froze in horror.

"Could this be why he killed himself? Maybe he thought I wrote these letters and shot himself?"

I thought about that for a minute and shook my head.

"I don't think so. After I found the body, I took the letters and searched around the place to see if I could find anything out of the ordinary."

Merissa began to calm down again, my words soothing her a bit.

"I noticed when I was in his office that he had a security program on his computer that was hooked up to cameras around the property. It was shut off since Thursday night."

Merissa looked at me quizzically.

"Why would they be shut off? Was the computer turned off, or maybe he lost power?"

I got up and began to pace around the room. Sitting still for too long always made me feel like a caged animal.

"As far as I could tell, everything was still working fine. It looked as if someone turned it off manually on Thursday night."

Now that I was thinking about it, that explanation made more sense.

"Someone might have been in his home and staged his suicide, placing the love letters around his body to help with the little details. Who knew about your affair?"

"I didn't even think of that. How would anyone know about our affair? We were very discreet. As far as I know, not one person knew about us except for you Mr. Gavel. Do you think my husband found out about us and killed him? Am I in danger Mr. Gavel?"

I stopped pacing and looked over at Merissa. I could tell she was panic stricken and feared for her life.

"What type of man is your husband? Is he a jealous man? Vengeful? How would he have found out about your affair? Why were you having an affair to begin with?"

Merissa sighed and patted the couch next to her.

"Have a seat Mr. Gavel. Let me explain. I love my husband very much. Things were always good between us. We were very honest with each other and always made time for each other every day. If we were busy we would still make time just to say I love you at least. We started Save Space Inc together with Jim. Jim and Anthony had been college roommates and came up with the idea of owning storage units. They wanted a chain across the nation. It was their dream. Jim came across some money about eight years ago, around the time Anthony and I got married. Jim called my husband and told him that he was ready to start Save Space Inc but needed a little more money for the down payment. I come from a wealthy family Mr. Gavel. I was more than happy to put up my husband's share to start the business."

I took my jacket off while she was telling her story and got out my pad and began taking some notes.

"Things were going great for a while. We started up at just the right time when storage was in high demand. We made a fortune the first few years. We began branching out steadily over the last few years. About two years ago things started to change. My husband started staying later at the office. The times that we did see each other were tension filled. I would get the impression he was trying to hide something from me. I confronted him about it and he told me I was crazy."

She was speaking with bitter resentment when she mentioned her husband.

"Next came the drinking. If he wasn't staying late at the office he was out boozing it up with his friends. I confronted him again about it and he laughed it off. I was sure he was having an affair. That's when I made up my mind to have one of my own. I always liked Jim, and I could tell that he was attracted to me. One day I stopped into the office while Jim was working. My husband was home sleeping off one of his benders and I made him an offer. Stay at the office and work or come to the motel with me and blow off some steam. He looked at me dumbfounded for a few minutes and to emphasize I began to unbutton my blouse and flashed him some of my breast."

Merissa's faced flushed as she was recalling the incident but it brought a smile to her lips as well. I could tell it was a pleasant memory.

"He got the hint and we locked up the office and left. That was the beginning of our affair. We had ground rules. No personal emails, written letters or texts. The only way we would ever meet up is if we talked about it in person or we would call to meet for an appointment. Neither of us had broken that rule Mr. Gavel."

She stopped talking and looked over the love letters again.

"Will the police find his killer Mr. Gavel?"

I could see the wounded look in her eyes and I hated to bring her more bad news.

"As far as the police are concerned, Jim Cooper killed himself. He was found in his living room with a gun in his hand. I'm sure if the killer went through this much trouble then there will be gun powder residue on his fingers. Whoever did this knew about the affair. They're either trying to get back at you, your husband or Jim."

Merissa thought about it for a few minutes and shook her head.

"I really have no idea how anyone would know. Wait here a moment."

She got up and walked out of the room. A few moments later she came back and handed me some cash.

"Here's one thousand dollars. I want you to find his killer Mr. Gavel. He did not kill himself and if someone is after me or my husband I would like to find out before one of us ends up dead. If it was about Jim, then I would like to see justice for him. That's the least I could do. He was a good man and didn't deserve this."

I took the cash from her and put it in my jacket pocket.

"I will try my best Mrs. Talbert. You need to be careful for the time being and watch your back. If the person was trying to get back at you or your husband they may come after you. If that happens call the police. You can call me after. Anything else you could tell me, to head me in the right direction?"

"Jim liked to hang out at The Stadium Sports Bar with my husband most nights. I didn't mind my husband going there when Jim was with him I knew he would stay in line with his best friend around. You could start there. They went a few times last week."

I jotted down the name of the bar and looked at her with a sorrowful expression.

"I am going to have to speak to your husband about this you know. I will keep you out of it and he doesn't need to know who hired me. I will try and keep the affair out of the investigation but if he already knows about it..."

Merissa indicated agreement "I understand Mr. Gavel. Try to be as prudent as you can about the affair. Now if you'll forgive me. I need to be alone for a while before my husband gets home, so I can mourn."

I stood from the couch and put my jacket back on. I slipped the note pad into my pocket and looked down at Merissa. "I'm truly sorry for your loss Mrs. Talbert. I will do my best to find Jim's killer."

She was blotting the tissue to her eyes and nodding when I let myself out of her house and got back in my car.
Monday Afternoon

I drove to the police station to see the sketch artist, hoping I could get a decent photo of the man that attacked me. With any luck he'll be in the system and I'll be able to track him down.

The police station was buzzing with activity. There were people sitting all along the walls handcuffed to the benches waiting to be processed and each desk was full with someone as well. I saw hookers, homeless people and other riffraff.

I made my way to the front desk and had to wait in line for a little bit. It was finally my turn to speak to the Sergeant.

"Excuse me. My name is Tony Gavel. I have an appointment with the sketch artist today."

The Sergeant was a busy man and hardly looked up when I spoke. He looked down on a sheet in front of him and checked off my name and asked for some ID.

"Sign in please."

I took the sheet and signed my name where he pointed while I showed him my driver's license. He checked the license and then looked at me. When he was satisfied, he gave it back.

"Head down the hall and enter the second door on your left. The artist you have an appointment with today is Mat Higgins. He's waiting for you."

I thanked the Sergeant and followed the directions he gave me. I entered a small office with a man sitting behind a computer. He was a small man wearing a pair of glasses that barely fit his head. It made his head look huge. His hair was neatly trimmed and he was wearing a white dress shirt and black tie with some black dress pants. He got up when I entered the room and shook my hand.

"Good afternoon. You must be Tony Gavel."

I nodded as I shook his hand and was surprised by the strong grip.

"I'm Mat. I'll be helping you out with your sketch today. Have you ever done this before?"

"Yup. I've been here before."

"Ok then, let's get started."

We both took a seat next to the computer and for the next two hours we stared at the screen going through different facial parts trying to piece together the man that attacked me.

"That's it. That's the guy that attacked me."

Mat pressed print on the computer and gave me a few copies.

"Dwight told me when you're done that he wants one to run through the system and he'll call you with any information that shows up. It might take a day or so. Either way he said to give him a call tomorrow evening."

I got out of the seat and shook Mat's hand. "Thanks for your help Mat. This will make my life a bit easier in helping find the guy."

I took my copies and put them inside my jacket pocket and left the station. It was still pretty early. My watch said 4:25. I had another 2 hours to kill before I was going to head to the bar to see if I could find out anything about Jim Cooper. I decided to go back to my office and do some research and maybe talk to Arthur and show him the picture of this guy.

Traffic wasn't bad and I made it back to the office in half an hour. I saw Arthur's car still parked in front of the deli. I hadn't eaten lunch yet so I figured I could get something to eat and talk to Arthur at the same time.

The deli was one of Big Cities finest for blocks around. It had everything you could want to put on a hero or roll. Arthur ran a fine establishment and loved his work and his customers. He's owned the deli for the last 25 years and always had a steady stream of loyal customers at any time of the day. The dinner rush was no exception.

I saw Arthur and gave him a nod. "When you get a chance Arthur I'll take my usual and I have something I would like to show you afterward."

Arthur gave me the thumbs up. I took a seat and grabbed a paper. After about fifteen minutes Arthur put a plate down with what smelled like a slice of heaven. I looked down at the plate and saw my favorite hero. Roast beef with melted cheddar, some grilled onions and bacon on a toasted garlic hero. My stomach began to growl at the sight of the food. Arthur sat down and I showed him the picture of the goon that attacked me.

"Is this the guy you saw the other morning outside my place?"

Arthur took a good look at the photo and nodded. "That's the guy. It was still dark but I got a good look at him when he opened the door of the truck. I happened to be outside with the bakery driver at the time. Do you know who he is or what he wanted?"

I put the picture away and shook my head. "Not yet. But he paid a visit to my house the other night and hit me with a stun gun after he tore apart my office."

"Jesus Tony, you be careful. Who knows what this guy is capable of? If I were you, I'd find out who he is and what he wants quick and take care of it. Did you call the police?"

I slipped the photo back into my jacket. "I just got back from the station and Dwight is going to run his picture through the database to see if anything comes up. Now that I know its the same guy that broke into my office, I can go to Big City Seafood and look for him. I have a beef with this guy and I want Louise back."

Arthur shook his head. "So he knows where your office and your house is, on top of that he stole your gun. That could get you into a lot of trouble if you don't get it back. I always told you guns are nothing but trouble. You never listen to me."

"I don't go looking for trouble it always finds me, but I do ok. You know that guns are a necessity in my line of work."

Arthur frowned as he spoke. "I've been running this store for over 25 years now and you don't see me carrying a gun. They just lead to trouble. A good bat is all you need to scare away the riffraff. Take it from me and get rid of them Tony. Your life would be a lot easier. Maybe if you get rid of the guns you might finally find a good woman to come home to every day. Your not getting any younger, you know."

I began to laugh for the first time in days. "Always looking out for my well being."

Arthur smiled. "I know it's been awhile since" he paused for a second not sure if he wanted to continue talking. I knew where this was going but stayed quiet. "Well, since Mary died. What's it been now three years?"

My face frowned as I thought about my ex-fiancé Mary. I was engaged to Mary for two years and we always planned on setting a date to get married. We thought we had all the time in the world until that day in the Hector's Wine and Spirits. Mary stopped by the store to grab some wine for dinner and while she was there, the store got robbed by two masked men. During a struggle with Hector, one of the robbers mask was pulled off his head. The other robber shot the owner dead and then turned the gun on Mary and killed her to hide their identities. The two robbers were never found. I've been working on that case for the last few years, trying to bring justice to Mary and Hector.

Ever since that day, I've not been able to get close to any other woman. I don't think I'll be able to until I solve that case and let Mary's soul be put to rest.

"I'm ok Arthur, don't worry about me."

I slipped Arthur a fifty and he frowned at it. "Take it Arthur. I owe you. I'm sure I'll be able to find this guy. Now that I know it's the same person that you saw driving the Big City Seafood truck. You earned it."

Arthur slipped the fifty into his pocket and got up. As he was leaving he turned to me "Just be careful Tony. I've known you for a long time. I know how you get sometimes." With that he went back to work and I enjoyed my hero with a smile on my face.

After I was done eating, I went across the street to my office. I grabbed the stack of bills from the mail slot and went upstairs. My door was locked this time and I gave a sigh of relief. I wasn't in the mood to clean the office again. I noticed I had three messages on the answering machine. I threw the mail on my desk and sat down. I grabbed a pencil and my notebook and hit play.

"Good afternoon Mr. Gavel. My name is Stella Windferd. I wish to make an appointment. I'm looking for my nephew Todd Jargus. I'm not getting any younger these days as was hoping you could help me find him. I would like to leave him something in my will, but would like to speak to him first. My brother hasn't spoken to his son in a few years and the last known address is a dead end. Please give me a call at 555-3476. Thank you Mr. Gavel."

I wrote down the information. Finding missing persons were my specialty and I figured it would be quick work. I listened to the second message.

"Hey Tony, its John Decker. I have a workers comp case I need you to look into. One of our firms we represent asked us to look into one of their employees that are claiming he is permanently disabled and can't work anymore. His name is James Harding. He lives at 1387 Broadway place. Just outside the city limits. He's claiming that he can't work anymore because of an injury to his back. I'll pay the usual fee. I need you to take some pictures and tail the guy. See if you can find out anything about him. Give me a call."

John Decker owns the law firm Decker and Son's. I did work for him on a regular basis and he paid me well. I gave him a call.

"Hey John, I got your message."

"Hey Tony. Good. Can you do it? I'll pay you the usual fee. $500 plus expenses."

"Sounds good to me. What else can you tell me?" I got my pad ready.

"James Harding works for UPS. He claimed he hurt his back and now he's out on comp. He's trying to go out on disability. His supervisor, Tom Raja, has heard rumors that he does clamming on the side. He's asked us to find proof that he still works so they can bust him for fraud. I told him about you and he's expecting your call. His number is 555-9087, extension 148."

"Ok thanks. I'll give him a call." I wrote all the information down.

"Any idea on how soon you can finish this?"

"I should be able to do it within the next few days. I'm working on something pretty big right now. When I have some proof, I'll drop it off."

"Ok, thanks Tony. Be careful. I hear he has a temper. I'll talk to you soon."

I hung up the phone and smiled. "Easy money." I've gotten pretty good at working comp cases. I have a good track record so far. People are always trying to scam their employers out of money with fake injuries. I gave Tom Raja a call.

"Good afternoon. Tom Raja speaking."

"Hi Tom. My name is Tony Gavel. You were expecting my call. John Decker said you needed my help on the James Harding case."

"Ah, hello Mr. Gavel. Yes we do."

I looked over the notes I took from the call with John.

"What can you tell me about James Harding?"

"James works for us during the overnight shift. He is one of the workers in the building that sort the packages and loads the trucks. He claims to have hurt his back loading one of the trucks. I have my doubts though."

"Why is that?" I asked him.

"Everyone around the office calls him Jimmy the Clam Man. He tells people stories of how he clams all day long and makes money selling the clams to the nearby restaurants. He's never told me that, but if you ask anyone around here they all say the same thing. I do know he comes in here tan and tired. He sleeps a lot in the break room and is a lazy worker. If he does clam all day that would explain his bad work habits. Now he's sitting at home with a note from the doctor stating he can't work."

"What does he look like?"

"What's your email address? We have his picture on file so that we can make ID badges."

I gave him my email address. "TonyGavelPI@optonline.net."

"Ok, got it. I'm sending it to you now."

My computer beeped telling me I got an email. I pulled it up and saw a picture of Jimmy the Clam Man. I printed it out and put it on the desk.

"I just got it thanks. Anything else you can tell me?"

"That's about it for now. If you can find proof that he does actually clam all day we can nail him for fraud, or give him the option to get his ass back to work. If you need anything don't hesitate to call me."

"Alright, thanks. Whatever I find out I'll pass along to John Decker. He'll get in touch with you when I'm done. It might take me a few days."

"That's ok. It will be worth it if we can catch him scamming us. We can get all the pay we had to give him, with interest. Thanks Tony. I'll wait for John to give us a call."

I hung up the phone and clipped Jimmy's picture with the notes I took. I pulled up Jimmy's address on MapQuest. It showed he lived forty five minutes from my office. If I was lucky, I could get there early enough within the next few days and follow him around for an afternoon. A few pictures of him digging clams and lugging the sacks out of his car into the restaurants should be enough proof of fraud.

I listened to the next message.

"Hey Tony, It's Josh. I just wanted to call and let you know there was a string of break-ins up here in Red Valley Falls. A lot of the hunting cabins were broken into. Your's was one of them. Nothing was taken though. I cleaned up the place for you and locked it back up. Give me a call."

I looked at my watch. It was still early enough to call Josh back.

After a few rings a woman answered the phone.

"Sheriff's office, Jackie speaking."

"Hey Jackie, It's Tony Gavel."

"Tony, it's been awhile. I guess you heard about the break-ins. When you coming up here?"

Jackie was Sheriff Myers adopted daughter.

"I plan on coming up after I finish this case I'm working on. Should be within a week or two tops."

"Make sure you come see me when you do. Let me patch you through to Josh."

"Thanks Jackie. I'll see you soon."

After a few moments Josh answered the phone.

"Hey Tony. I'm sorry to hear about Mary. How you doing son?"

I had to smile when I heard Josh's voice. He was one of my dad's best friends. Josh Myers was the one that taught me how to shoot a gun.

"Thanks Josh, I'm doing ok. It's been a few years now. I'm coping with it in my own way." I decided to change the subject. It still hurt thinking about Mary and her tragic death. I didn't want to get into it with Josh at the moment. "What's the deal with the break-ins? Is my place ok?"

Josh laughed into the phone. "Your place is fine. It was a bunch of kids. They were going from empty cabin to empty cabin throwing parties. They never took anything, but they did leave a mess at each place. You know how Red Valley Falls is. Nothing can stay a secret for long around here. Jack overheard some kids talking about it at the bar and gave me a call. We busted them at the next party. The Judge made them clean up every cabin for their community service."

I laughed. "How is Jack?"

I heard Josh beeping his horn before he spoke.

"Jack's ok. The Last Call has been doing good over the last few years. Hunting and Fishing business has been way up. The Mayor's happy with all the extra revenue."

"That's good to hear. Tell Jack I'll see him soon." I said.

"That means you're coming back hear soon? Things have been crazy the last few months. Ever hear of Doogan Ashe?"

That name rang a bell, but I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"He sounds familiar."

"He's that serial killer that was arrested down in your neck of the woods a few years ago. Anyway, Rumor has it he escaped during transport and is hiding out in our woods. You be careful when you come here. Make sure you come see me. We need to catch up on some things. I'd love to talk more Tony, but I have to go. Call me when you get here."

Josh hung up the phone. I was shocked. A serial killer loose in Red Valley Falls. I was going to have to get up there soon. Most likely there is a bounty out for him and I could try and collect it.

I left my office around 5:45 after doing some basic research on Big City Seafood. I found out they were located on the wharf in the warehouse district. I also found out their hours of operation and who the sales manager was. They delivered all over Big City and catered mostly to restaurants and small food establishments. I figured I had enough information to get in the door when I was ready to take on the goon and get my gun back.
Monday Evening

I drove to Stadium Sports Bar and pulled into the parking lot about 6:30. I guess there must be a football game on tonight, due to the heavy crowd. I pulled into a spot near the back of the building and double checked my spare .38 special and made sure it was loose in the shoulder holster. I never knew if I was going to have to use it and I wouldn't want it to get stuck pulling it out. I slipped the picture of the goon and of Jim Cooper into my jacket and made my way inside.

The inside of the Bar was dimly lit. There was a cloud of smoke coming from the smokers section in the corner. It was a mixed crowd tonight. I could see the football fans wearing their favorite team jerseys scattered through out the place as well as the business men wearing their suits. The ages of the crowd ranged from mid twenties to early forties.

Right in the middle of the room was a long round bar. Inside the bar were two attractive female bartenders, hustling around making drinks and grabbing tips. They had a few big screen TV's hanging around the different walls, with a bunch of smaller TV's strategically placed throughout the room. No matter where you sat you were able to see one of the many TV's. They had a section cordoned off in the back where you could sit, eat and watch other sports events. There were a few tables scattered around the room and in one of the corners you could see a few pool tables, where a group of people were playing.

I shouldered my way to the bar and slipped the picture of Jim Cooper and a twenty dollar bill on top of it and got the bartenders attention. One of the blonde's came over and took a look at the picture and slipped the twenty into her pocket. She gave me a wink and said "What can I get you? There's a two drink minimum tonight due to the game."

"Southern Comfort on the rocks, make it a double."

She reached down behind the bar and grabbed a glass and nodded over to an empty table towards the back.

"Have a seat and your drink will be right over."

I gave her a knowing look and went to the table she gestured to and sat down. I took a look at the menu to blend in and waited for the bartender. In a couple of minutes a different bartender came over with my drink. She looked to be in her early to mid twenties. She was wearing the bars t-shirt tied off in the front showing off her well maintained abs. Her blond hair was shoulder length and she had misty blue eyes. I was wondering how she slipped into the shorts she was wearing when she placed the drink on the table.

"I hear your looking for Jimmy."

I took a sip of the drink and placed a twenty on the table.

"Anything you can tell me about him over the last few days? Does he come here often? I can make it worth your while." I placed a twenty dollar bill on top of the twenty already on the table.

She took a look around the room to see if anyone was paying attention to us and than slipped the money into her shorts pocket.

"I can tell you that he comes here on a regular basis, sometimes alone, sometimes with his business partner Anthony. He always leaves with one of Mooch's girls. He likes to flash his money around as well."

"Has he been in recently, over the last few days maybe? Anything out of the ordinary happen this week? Who is Mooch?"

She looked around the room again and leaned down so that no one would hear.

"He had a fight last week with Anthony on Tuesday. I heard him talking about Mooch and he told Anthony he'd better get his life in order or he was telling Merissa. Anthony was livid and told him to stay out of it. They almost came to blows. Mooch is a low life bookie and pimp. They were arguing about him over something."

I slipped her another twenty and my card.

"Any chance you know what they were fighting about or where I can find this Mooch?"

She took both the twenty and my card and put it in her pocket than leaned closer once again; her breast was rubbing against my shoulder as she spoke.

"I didn't hear what they were fighting about, sorry. As for Mooch. I have his number behind the bar. People request it all the time. Give me a few minutes and I can grab it for you. I'm sure if you give him a call you could arrange a meeting."

I took a swig of my drink and looked around the room to see if anyone was paying any attention to us.

"Thanks for the info. If you can think of anything else give me a call. My name's Tony Gavel."

"I'm Aerial. If I can think of anything, I'll be sure to call you. It was a pleasure doing business with you handsome. Make sure you come back to see me" she said with a flirtatious smile and a wink.

As she began to leave I asked her to hold up and took out the picture of the goon. "Have you seen this man by chance?"

She took a look at the photo for a few seconds. "Nope, never saw him before."

"Thank you Aerial."

She nodded and made her way back to the bar.

I hung around the bar for another hour or so taking it all in waiting to see if Anthony would show up. I talked to Aerial for a little while. She gave me Mooch's phone number and I slipped it in my pocket. I found out she worked the Monday through Friday shift from 5 to closing. Jim and Anthony usually came in every other day or so. She said Anthony usually came in more if he wasn't busy at work. During one of our conversations I asked her,

"Does Anthony ever leave with a girl or meet up with one here? Maybe call Mooch and get one of his girls?"

She told me Anthony was married and never left with anyone. Whenever he came to the bar he would drink his beers and watch the sports going on. If there was a particular game that he wanted to see he would ask us to put it on for him. He would talk about his wife when he got drunk and complained sometimes that he wasn't being fair to her, but he never cheated on her from this place at least. He never went into why he wasn't being fair.

"My guess" Aerial said to me "Anthony is probably a sports gambler. Why else would Jim be fighting with him about Mooch? Jim was accusing Anthony about Mooch not the other way around. Jim bragged to us about using Mooch all the time, but Anthony had never mentioned Mooch except during that one conversation."

During the whole time I was at the bar it seemed Aerial was flirting with me, but I figured it was just her way to try and drum up tips being a bartender. It was close to 9:30 when I left the bar. I paid my tab and left the girls a big tip and reminded them to call me if they could think of anything else about that night or if anyone else came in asking about Jim. They assured me they would.

I decided to give Mooch's number a call to see if I could find out anything else about that night. I got in my car and dialed the number. After a few rings a man answered the phone.

"Mooch here. Speak to me."

"Hello Mooch. A friend of mine gave me this number, said I could have a good time if I called it."

"Depends on who your friend is and what type of fun you're looking for."

I'm sure he didn't give out any information over the phone. He didn't sound like an idiot. I tried to sound nonchalant.

"My friend's Jim Cooper. He said you have the best girls in town."

I listened to his voice to see if he would give away anything when I spoke Jim's name.

"Good ole Jimmy. How is he doing anyway? He gave you this number huh."

He didn't sound like he knew about Jim's death. "Jim's doing ok. He gave me your number this morning. He said you'd take care of me."

"I can do that. Tell Jimmy when you talk to him that I did you a solid. Jimmy's a loyal customer of mine. What kind of girl you want?"

This did not sound like the person that killed Jim Cooper. If he did than he was hiding it very well. I could be walking into an ambush if he had something to do with Jim's death.

"Whoever was Jim's favorite? He won't be calling you today."

"Meeting up with that married chick again huh, that man never stops. I'll send over Crystal. Where do you want to meet her?"

I was surprised he knew about Merissa, but kept my cool and gave him the name of a motel close by. I told Mooch I would rent a room under the name Tony G. He told me that Crystal would be there within the hour. He warned me no funny stuff and that he always had a guy close by if there was trouble. He told me Crystal would take care of the transaction, and then hung up.

I made my way to Big City Motor Lodge and rented a room under the name Tony G.

The room was a dingy little thing. A queen sized bed was in the center with a mattress the thickness of a two by four. An ashtray sitting on the night stand with a remote and some advertisements for the porn channel and free HBO. The bathroom was tinier than my closet with a toilet, sink and a scummy looking shower. There were a few towels hanging on a rack and a bar of soap sitting on the sink.

I put my jacket on the night stand next to the bed and slipped my gun in the drawer in case I needed it quickly.

I pulled the sheets down and sat on the bed. I could hear the couple in the next room as if they were sitting right next to me. Either the lady was very religious or they were having a good time. I flipped on the tv and scanned the Channels for anything good while waiting for Crystal to arrive and more so to drown out the noise from next door.

After about half an hour there was a soft knock at the door. I opened the door and was looking at a beautiful ebony skinned woman. She looked to be somewhere in her mid to late twenties. She had long jet black hair going past her shoulders. She was wearing a black skirt falling just short of her knees with a skin tight sweater showing off her magnificent hourglass curves and buxom chest. She had a silk blue scarf around her neck. It looked out of place on her for some reason. Her face was flawless. She had an elegant look to her. I do have to say, Jim knew how to pick his women.

She looked me up and down and her tongue ran slowly over her lips.

"My, my. Jim sure has nice looking friends. Are you going to just stand there and stare at me or would you rather have me come in so you can get the full view. Mooch sent me, said that Jim's friend was looking for some companionship tonight and told me to come here. My name's Crystal."

I moved back into the room leaving some space for her to come in. Her scent was that of a light rain as she made her way past. I watched her cross the room and put her pocketbook down on the nightstand opposite of where my things were. I closed the door and stood looking at her not really knowing how I was going to do this. It's been awhile since I've had any female companionship. She sat down on the bed and patted the mattress, motioning me to sit next to her. "Come sit next to me." I sat near the end of the bed and my mouth finally started to work.

"I'm Tony G. Jim gave me Mooch's number this morning, and told me if I was ever looking for some fun times I should give it a call and request his favorite girl." I lied, but she wouldn't know. When I mentioned Jim's name her body tensed up for a second and her face got flush. "What is it? You don't know Jim?"

She took a moment to regain her composure before she spoke.

"I know Jim very well. I am just surprised is all that he would tell you to ask for me. He always told me I was his favorite. I didn't think he would want to pass me around to his friends. Jim knows all of Mooch's girls."

She reached out and began to caress my shoulder as she spoke. Her hands began undoing the first few buttons of my shirt. She slipped her hands inside my shirt and rubbed them along my bare chest. Her touch was silky smooth as her fingers traced my nipples. I could feel myself getting turned on by her harmless exploration. She gave me a smile as she continued exploring inside my shirt.

"I don't know if Jim told you about pricing, but it will cost you $250 for three hours of my time. If you're as good a friend of Jim's that you say you are. You know I am worth every penny. Just leave the money next to my purse so we can get started."

I stood to get the money out of my pocket and walked to the night stand and placed it under her purse. This night was costing me a lot of money. I was wondering how I would write this off as an expense, when Crystal reached over and undid my pants. She worked my zipper down and gave my pants a yank. I was standing in front of her naked from the waist down. She looked up at me and gave me a smile.

About an hour later we were both lying in bed, our bodies covered in sweat, enjoying the aftermath of some good old lovemaking. She had her leg draped over mine and her face was leaning against my chest. My hands were tangled in her hair gently stroking her head.

"Jim wasn't lying when he told me you were one of the best." I figured a little flattery might make her open up more for some information. "When was the last time you saw Jim?"

Crystal frowned up at me. "Why do you want to be talking about Jim for? You have me for another two hours and you want to waste it talking about some other guy? Is that what gets you off, Tony G? Maybe we should call Jim and have him meet us here tonight. Would that make you happy?"

I gave her a sheepish grin. "Not at all, I am more then happy to have you all to myself. I was just asking. I plan to call on you again and didn't want to interfere with Jim's time with you, if you know what I mean."

She looked up at me quizzically for a second than smiled.

"I understand what you're saying. You don't want to be going where your boy has gone already on the same nights. It's all good sugar. There's plenty of me to go around. I never talk about other companions with people. It's my policy, kind of like a doctor/patient confidentiality thing. You will have to bring that up with him if you talk to him again."

She slid her hand under the sheet and gave me a big smile. "It seems you would rather be doing something else than talking. I could be wrong though."
Tuesday Morning

I woke up and Crystal was gone. I checked my wallet and my money was still there. I opened the draw and was relieved to see my gun was still there as well. I took a quick shower, got dressed and decided to head back to the office.

There was something Crystal was not telling me. She was being evasive, but it could be some hooker/john thing. I never bothered to use them before so I had no idea if what she was telling me was normal. I was going to have to talk to some of Mooch's other girls to see if I could get any information out of them.

I had to give Merissa a call and see if she knew anything about the fight Jim and Anthony had. I also needed to call Dwight to see if he had any luck with the goon. Maybe I would ask him about Mooch as well.

After about ten minutes of driving I made a right onto Main Street and thought I noticed a car that's been following me since I left the motel. It could be my imagination so I made the first right turn and watched my rear view mirror to make sure.

A minute later the sedan turned down the road I was on. I still wasn't sure, but it was looking like I had a tail. I couldn't see through the windshield, it was tinted a dark black, hiding the inside of the car from me. I stepped on the gas and made the next left turn to find out for sure if I was being followed. Within a few seconds the sedan turned the corner and hit the gas moving his car closer to mine. He knew I made him so now he was trying to intimidate me.

"It's not going to work buddy."

Up ahead was a turn off that leads to a long county road that will take me out of the city and into the suburbs. I stepped on Rust Bucket's gas pedal and made the exit. At this hour of the morning it wasn't to bad traffic wise and I opened up. Rust Bucket may not look pretty, but she was in excellent running condition and I had no problems distancing myself from the person tailing me. I wondered who it could be in the car. Maybe the goon that keeps breaking into my office, could it be Mooch, or maybe even Crystal. I doubt it was Crystal. She just left me a few hours ago. If she wanted to do something to me she could have done it while I was sleeping. Nothing was stolen from me while I slept. It must be the goon.

I was coming up to a gas station and pulled in. Just as I pulled up to the pump the sedan went flying by. Either he didn't see me or was going to be waiting for me up ahead.

"I'm getting pretty tired of this guy messing up my life."

I hit the gas and began chasing the goon. I planned on ending this quickly. The trees were whipping by and when I looked down, my speedometer registered 106 mph. I was catching up on the sedan. I could see the back of his car up ahead.

I pulled right up behind him and looked at his license plate before I gave his car a tap. At that speed I needed to be careful that we both wouldn't fly off the road. He sped up a bit and I hit the back of his car again. I hit the gas and began to go around him to cut him off. He swerved his sedan into me trying to knock me off the road. I slowed down a bit and got back behind him. I decided to try the other side and hit my gas trying to pass him. He swerved that way also making me slow down once again. I hit the back of his car again trying to maneuver him to swerve into a spin but he hit the gas and began speeding away from me.

This went on for a few minutes. I wasn't getting anywhere. I couldn't see who was in the car and I couldn't get myself around him. I was running out of patience and wanted to end this quickly. I pushed the gas pedal to the floor. Rust Bucket sped up and I hit the back of his car one more time. I began going to the right and just when the guy began to swerve his car in that direction I quickly went left and pulled up to the side of him. When I got to the drivers side door his window opened a bit. Not enough to see inside but I did see the muzzle of a gun pop out the window and then I heard the bang. My passenger window exploded from the bullet and I locked up my brakes. A few pieces of glass flew into the car and a piece sliced into my cheek. My car went skidding all over the road and I was having a hard time keeping it from crashing.

The sedan slowed down and I could see the gun sticking out the window. I pulled the steering wheel hard left trying to swerve as I heard the gun being shot multiple times. I heard the impact of the bullets as they slammed into the side of my car. I was a sitting duck out here and had to do something. I pulled my spare .38 and took a wild shot out of my busted window. I didn't come close to hitting the sedan, but it was enough to have him speed away. I waited a few moments to see if he would turn back, but he didn't.

"I've got you now."

I hit the gas and began gaining ground. I leaned out and took another shot at the car, trying to hit his wheels. They make it look so easy in the movies, but in real life it was a very hard thing to do. I didn't even come close. Just as I was pulling up behind him, I noticed his gun stick out the window again. He took a shot at me, blowing out my drivers side headlight. This guy was a good shot and I didn't want to chance getting killed. I slowed down holding my gun at the ready, but the sedan sped away.

I pulled Rust Bucket to the side of the road to calm my nerves and think of a game plan. I took out my pad and with my hands shaking a little, from the experience of almost getting killed. I wrote down the license plate number. I had a lot going on in my life right now and had to decide which investigation to pursue. Considering I just got shot at and my blood was boiling I took out my phone and called Dwight.

Like clockwork Dwight picked up after the second ring. "Dwight O'Toole."

I kept a look out, up and down the road, making sure the sedan was not coming back as I talked to Dwight.

"Hey Dwight, its Tony, I need a favor. I'll owe you big time. Can you run a license plate for me?"

"What's this for Tony? Is it the guy who keeps breaking into your place?"

"Nothing like that, it's for another case I'm working on. Just a routine check to see who the car is registered to, I can meet you over breakfast. I'm buying. There is some other stuff I need to go over with you also."

Dwight sounded suspicious, but he was a friend I could trust. "Sure, give me the number and I will tell you what I got at the Waffle House in half an hour."

"Make it an hour and you got yourself a deal. I'm outside the city limits right now and it will take me a bit to get there."

"Sure thing, one hour at the Waffle House. I'll see you there." I gave him the plate number and he hung up, leaving me sitting on the side of the road with my adrenaline pumping.

As I looked at the broken window and all the glass on my seat I saw a bullet on the floor. I put on my gloves and picked it up in case it had a fingerprint on it. I slipped the bullet in an evidence bag I keep in my glove compartment, from the olden days of being a police officer. I got out of my car and walked around it. There were two bullet holes in the passenger side, near the backseat. I looked in the back, but couldn't find any bullets. I checked the headlight and it was destroyed. Whoever the guy was, he was a crack shot and I would have to be careful in the future. I had no idea if he was tailing me because of the Jim Cooper case or if he had something to do with the break-ins.

I took my baton I carry and went around the passenger window knocking out the rest of the glass so that it looked like my window was open. I cleaned up the broken glass from inside the car and when I was all done I made my way to the waffle house to meet up with Dwight.
Tuesday Mid Morning

I pulled into the Waffle House just as Dwight did the same.

"What the hell happened to your car?" Dwight asked as he got out of his car.

"My air conditioning is on the fritz again."

Dwight gave me a disgusted look. "So you decided to shoot the side of your car? What kind of shit are you into now Tony?"

I looked at the bullet holes and shrugged, not really wanting to say anything.

"You do know you should report this. You're going to get yourself killed. No need to play cowboy all the time." Dwight said to me.

"It's nothing really." I said.

Dwight just shook his head and walked into the Waffle House leaving me in the parking lot. I hurried to catch up and we got a booth in the back of the building away from other customers, so we could talk a little more privately. Once we were seated, the waitress took our drink orders and left, Dwight said to me. "What kind of case are you really working on Tony? First your office gets trashed, than you get jumped at your house, now you get shot at. Before you deny it, I know a bullet impact when I see one. Are you in trouble? Do you need some help with this one?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I have everything under control. The case I'm working on has nothing to do with the break-ins. I have no idea who is doing that. I do have some leads but nothing solid to come to you yet. I'm still working it though and may have something within a day or so, unless you got a hit with his picture?"

The waitress came with our coffee, took our breakfast order, and then went to place them.

"The picture was a dead end. Maybe I will send a lab tech to your house and have him dust for prints and stuff, maybe we'll get lucky."

"Don't bother" I told him "He was wearing a pair of leather driving gloves. You won't find anything. I do have a lead on where he works though and was going to pay a visit to see if I could find out anything. And before you give me the speech about letting the police handle it, I want to make sure it is a solid lead before I give it to you guys. I wouldn't want to waste your time on false leads."

Dwight thought that over for a few moments and nodded. "What about the person shooting at your car? What happened there?"

I wasn't sure what to tell him. As far as the police was concerned, Jim Cooper committed suicide. And do I really need to tell him I was at a motel all night with a hooker. I really had no idea who shot at me. "My best guess would be the goon. I am still working the Jim Cooper case though."

Dwight looked puzzled.

"I thought that he committed suicide. That's what we ruled it. Our lab techs found gun powder residue on his fingers and he was still holding the gun."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"My client doesn't believe Jim would kill himself and asked me to look into it. I told her I would dig into it for a couple of days to see if I could come up with a reason why someone would want him dead, but I did tell her it looked like he shot himself. She still insisted for me to look into it."

Dwight looked skeptical but didn't say anything about it. "I got a name for you from the license plate." He handed me a slip of paper. "The car belongs to a Bob Caster. I ran his name through the system and nothing came up. I don't know what you're into right now, but you need to be careful. I don't want to be investigating your death."

I looked at the paper and slipped it into my pocket, just as the waitress brought us our food. We ate our breakfast and talked about things going on in our lives. We never talked shop while we ate. It was one of our rules that we stuck by.

"Paddy and I are trying to have a baby." Dwight said between mouthfuls of pancakes.

I must've looked surprised because Dwight let out a laugh.

"She keeps insisting that we have one. She complains she's not getting any younger. With my long hours I just never thought about it. She gave me some pretty good arguments and she really does want one. I gave in and now she chases me around the house carrying a thermometer. Always yelling it's time, or her eggs are ready, or some such crap."

I barked out a laugh. Thinking of Paddy running around the house chasing Dwight was a funny sight indeed. Paddy was close to 5'4" on a good day. She was one of the fiercest Irish women I knew. She was one of the few people in this world that could get away with ordering Dwight around.

"I'm sure you're really complaining when she grabs you and tells you it's time."

We both looked at each other and laughed. Dwight spoke first.

"She says she has a woman that she'd like you to meet. She worries about you."

"Tell her I'm fine." I said.

Dwight looked skeptical, but left it at that.

"You plan on going hunting anytime soon?"

I nodded as I finished up my eggs.

"After this case I plan on going up to the cabin for a week. I need a vacation. It's been a while since I've been to Red Valley Falls. I talked to Josh and he told me that serial killer Doogan Ashe escaped during transport and is camping somewhere in the woods around Red Valley Falls."

Dwight looked at me with a worried look. "You be careful. I heard chatter about that. If he's up there I know you'll be searching for him. Leave it to the Marshal Service. Don't be a hero Tony."

I shrugged and kept my mouth shut.

After we were done with our food, I paid the check and we headed outside and leaned against Rust Bucket to talk a little more. Dwight was looking at me with that worried brotherly look.

"Listen Tony, if you need help call me. I will do what I can, like I usually do. Just be careful. Someone is gunning for you and it seems they won't stop until your dead or they found whatever it is they are looking for."

"I always try to be careful Dwight, you know that. I am going to follow up on this lead and hopefully I'll find the guy that broke into my place. He better still have Louise. I won't do anything stupid. If it gets bad, I'll call you."

We shook hands and I thanked him again for looking up the license plate for me and we parted ways.

Now that I had a full stomach I was ready for a nap, but I had work to do. I made my way to the office and gave Merissa a call. She answered on the third ring.

"Hey Merissa, its Tony Gavel. Do you know anyone named Mooch and why your husband and Jim would be fighting over him? I went to the bar that you told me about and the bartender told me they were fighting over Mooch last Tuesday. Any ideas?"

I could hear her walking around and people talking in the background.

"I have no idea who that is Mr. Gavel. I certainly don't know why they would be fighting over him. Have you found out anything else?"

"Not yet, but I do have a couple of leads. I am going to have to talk to your husband soon. It can't wait much longer."

"Hold on a second please. Let me check something."

I heard Merissa walking around and I heard the voices getting louder. She must be going into a room where a bunch of people were. I heard her talking to someone and than I heard the voices getting softer.

"Mr. Gavel, are you still there?"

"I'm here." I said.

"I just talked to my husband and he is heading to work in a few minutes. I told him that an investigator was looking into Jim's death and wanted to ask him some questions, since he was his partner and probably spent a lot of time with him. He said to drop by in an hour or so and he will be more than happy to help you. I do want to remind you to be discreet please. There is no reason for him to find out about why I hired you or about the affair."

"Don't worry about me. Suave is my middle name." I thanked her and hung up the phone.

Since I had an hour to kill, I began looking through some old case files that might be of interest to people. I came up with about 13 different cases that could be of interest and put them in a brief case I had in my closet that I hardly ever used. A few of the cases were insurance scams where I helped some company that was looking into people they felt filed bogus claims. Maybe someone was looking for revenge on the person that got them fired?

Some were missing person's cases, which some attorney had hired me to look into the whereabouts of people that had inherited money from a distant relative. Maybe someone wanted a piece of the pie?

There were a few others that I would have to dig deeper into. Nothing really stuck out at me, but you never know what motivates someone.

It was almost time to head out. I went home and cleaned up before I made my way to the offices of Save Space Inc.
Tuesday Afternoon

The offices of Save Space Inc. were located on the outskirts of Big City. This is where the company had its beginnings. It was a large fenced in lot with about 100 units for people to rent.

I pushed open the door and walked inside the lobby. It wasn't that big, but they utilized space very well. There was a crescent shaped receptionist desk in the back of the room. Two black leather looking couches were along the two side walls. They had a coffee machine and a vending machine selling snacks and soft drinks to the side of the desk. There was one doorway off to the left of the desk which I assumed went to the offices. There was another door next to the first, but on the adjoining wall which went out into the storage area. On the opposite wall was a bathroom. There was a small security camera in the corner of the room pointing towards the front door.

The receptionist was sitting at the desk with a headset on talking into it about prices of various sized units. She was an attractive girl, probably in her mid twenties, with long curly blond hair. She was dressed in a white blouse and you could see a computer in front of her and the phone. There was a sign in sheet on top of the desk. I put my name down and sat on the couch to wait until she was done on the phone.

There were various magazines on the little table next to the couch. I was thumbing through one of them when I heard the receptionist speak.

"Mr. Talbert, There is a Tony Gavel here to see you."

She listened into her headset and nodded and looked at me.

"Mr. Gavel, Anthony is ready for you. If you would just go through the door, he is in the first office on the right."

I thanked her and went through the door. It was a short hallway with four doors, two to each side of the hall. The first door on the left had Jim Coopers name on it. The door was closed. The door on the right had Anthony Talbert's name on it. The door was open and I walked in.

Anthony looked to be in his late thirties, early forties. He had on a white dress shirt with a long black tie. His jacket was on a hanger near the door. He had brown hair, but you could tell it was beginning to thin. When he got up to shake my hand, he wasn't as tall as I. I would put him at about 5 foot 8 or so. He had a small gut, probably from all the late night drinking. He gave me a smile.

"Sit down Mr. Gavel. I understand you're looking into Jim's death. What a shame, the man was a good friend and a hard worker. I never knew he had so many problems that he would kill himself. I still don't understand why his death would be investigated though. It was suicide, wasn't it?"

Anthony looked puzzled, but he did not seem to be hiding anything or fearful that I was here.

We both sat and I took out my notepad. I pretended to look it over, flipping through the pages, trying to see what his reaction would be. He sat there calmly waiting for me to begin. If he did kill Jim Cooper, he had an excellent poker face. Jim was sleeping with his wife and they had the fight about Mooch, so you never know what someone was capable of.

"Let's start with the basics. You and Jim were roommates at college for a while and had a dream of opening up your own business. About eight years ago Jim came into money and told you that the dream could become a reality if you came up with the same share of the start up money. Do you know where he got that money?"

Anthony's eyes blinked with surprise. He probably had no idea where this interview was going. "As far as I know he had a relative that had died and left it to him in her will. I think maybe it was an aunt, or cousin. He never really talked about it much. He was just happy that he came into it and called me right away. We wanted this business and we talked about it for years. We had a business plan made out during college and when he came to me, he had all types of paper work and research about start up costs and labor fee's, renting fee's etc..."

I wrote down some notes about Jim and the start up money and then asked "How has the business been going? I saw from your website and other various sources that you began to branch out over the last few years."

"Business has been great." Anthony said. "The first few years we made a lot of money. We got into the storage business at just right the time it seemed. Within the first six months we made back out initial investment and ever since then we have been making a steady profit. Some years have been great, others have been ok. All in all though, it was a good business call, I owe our success to Jim."

"That brings me to my next question. How would you say your relationship with Jim has been going over the last few years? Have things been going well, or has there been any tension between you two?"

Anthony picked up his pen and started playing with it as he spoke, twirling it between his fingers, tapping the desk with it. "Things have always been good between us. I can't recall us ever having too many arguments, and when we did it was about little things. Like where we were going to expand first. How we wanted the layout of the buildings, stuff like that. We never fought about money; we were both doing very well. We used to hang out at least once a week to celebrate our success."

"You went to the Stadium Sports Bar to celebrate?" I asked him watching his reaction closely.

Anthony dropped his pen and picked it back up before he spoke. "We went there on occasion. Sometimes we would go out to diner, other times we would go to the bar. It was never really set it stone what we would do."

Anthony was beginning to look nervous about something, so I pushed on.

"I hear you guys got into a fight at the Stadium Sports Bar a few days before he died, something about Mooch and how you better come clean or he was going to talk to your wife. Care to elaborate what that fight was about?"

Anthony's eyes narrowed with suspicion and he began fidgeting in his chair.

"Who did you say you worked for again? Can I see your badge?"

I knew the interview was over at this point, but I could tell he was hiding something from me. I figured I would give it one last shot.

"I never did say who I was working for Mr. Talbert. I am not a police officer. I am a private investigator looking into the death of Jim Cooper. He did not commit suicide like everyone believes. There have been some strange things that do not add up. One of them is the fight you had about Mooch right before he died. Did you kill Jim Cooper to hide something from your wife about Mooch? Were you having an affair with one of his girls? Come clean and save me the hassle of digging deeper into this. I will find out either way, and it would be easier on you if you told me yourself."

Anthony got up out of his seat and his face was getting red with anger.

"I suggest you leave Mr. Gavel. I don't want to see you here again. I did not kill Jim Cooper and what we talked about is none of your business, if you can get a court order then I will answer your questions with my lawyer present. If you come back here without one, I will call the police and have you arrested for harassment and trespassing."

I got up out of my seat and put my coat on and slipped my notebook in the pocket. "Have it your way Mr. Talbert, but I will find out about this and you won't like it when I come back here."

Anthony pushed me out of his office. "Are you threatening me now? Get out, and don't come back."

I know he was hiding something from me, and I planned on finding out. If he didn't kill Jim, then he may know who or why he was killed. I'd have to think about my next move with Anthony carefully.
Tuesday Mid Afternoon

I grabbed a quick bite to eat at one of those fast food places. They're all the same to me, processed meat on a bun with enough grease on the french fries to clog your arteries.

I decided to head out to Big City Seafood and see if the goon that's been ransacking my offices actually worked there. If I was lucky he would be in today and I could have a little chat with him. I had the perfect cover story to work my way into the building to talk to the manager. I looked up the manager's name in my notes and pulled up the address on my GPS.

It was a forty minute drive from where I was and I rehearsed my story the whole way there to make sure I would have no problems getting in. I have done this hundreds of times, so it shouldn't be a problem. Inside my glove box I took out the case of business cards I used for various reasons. I took out the one that said I worked for Decker and Sons Law firm. The story that someone was going to inherit money was always a sure fire way to get information out of people. They usually felt bad for the person who lost a relative, and they also felt happy that they were going to get some dough out of the deal. It was usually a win win situation.

The warehouse was located right on the pier. There were delivery trucks parked in the lot and boats moored along the pier unloading crates of various types of seafood. I strolled up to one of the guys on the dock.

He was scruffy looking with a long brownish grey beard and hair. He had on a wool cap with some dirty overalls. He reeked of fish.

"Excuse me; I'm looking for Charles Wingate. Do you know if he's in today?"

The man turned to me and said. "He should be in his office." He pointed to a door on the side of the building. "Go through that door. That will bring you to the offices."

I thanked the man and followed the directions he gave me. The offices were nothing more than a room with a few desks and a bathroom off to the side. A man was sitting at one of the desks talking on the phone. He was wearing a Big City Seafood hat and one of those caution vests you see construction workers wear out on the roads.

He waved me in and pointed to the seat while he finished up his phone call. I could tell it was with a client, talking the price of lobsters by the crate and shrimp as well.

He placed the phone down on the receiver and shook my hand. "Charles Wingate, how may I help you today?"

The man had a firm grip, probably from years of hard manual labor before he moved into management. I handed him my card and took out the picture of the goon.

"Hello Charles, My name is Tony Gavel. I am an investigator for the law firm Decker and Sons. I was hired by them to find this man." I showed him the picture.

Charles checked out my business card and than looked over the picture. He gave me a puzzled look. "Is he in some kind of trouble?"

"Not at all," I lied "It is a personal family matter, but I guess I could tell you the basics. A distant cousin of his had died recently and he was left in her will to inherit $25,000. I was hoping to find him and give him some paper work to sign."

Charles looked relieved. "That's Kenneth Fields, Ken for short or Kenny. He's in today, but right now he's on a delivery."

I wrote down the name in my notepad and smiled. "Do you know when he will be back?"

Charles looked at the clock. "Maybe an hour, two tops. He's been on the road since early this morning. You could wait around if you like or come back later."

I made a point to look at my watch and frowned a little for show. "I can stay a few minutes, but I do have other appointments for the day. Would it be possible to get his address and I could stop by his house with the paper work after my other appointments, so we could expedite this. I wouldn't want him to have to wait for this large inheritance any longer than necessary."

Carl turned to his computer and made a few strokes of the keyboard and pulled out an index card and wrote something down and than looked up at me.

"Hey, I just thought of something. How come you don't have his address already?"

Shit. He is beginning to suspect something. There were always a few thinkers when I used this con. I better come up with something quick. I smiled at Charles to reassure him.

"He had moved a few times and his cousin didn't have his current address. Her husband remembered where he worked though, so that's how we knew to track him down here. This happened fairly recently and I didn't have time to fully research his current whereabouts. If you don't feel comfortable giving me that information, I am sure you can tell him I stopped by and have him call the firm. I know they have court the next few days before the weekend. I'm sure we could schedule an appointment for him sometime in the next few weeks to sign the papers and get things rolling for him, if you prefer."

"No, that's ok." He handed me the index card with Kenny's address and phone number on it. "I'm sure he will want to know about this right away. He'll be happy to have the extra money. I know his daughter Loren is away at college and needs a new car and her tuition is coming up also. He's been trying to work extra hours to make a little more cash."

I thanked him for his help and told him I was going to wait outside for awhile before I needed to head out to my next appointment.

"Don't tell him about this. I love to surprise the people coming into a small fortune. I enjoy making people's lives better under unfortunate circumstances."

He assured me he wouldn't say a word about it and will keep it a surprise. I headed outside. I sat back in my car and punched in his address in the GPS and noticed it wasn't that far from where I was now, about a 30 minute drive. I looked at the clock and figured it was still early enough to check out his house.

I made it to his neighborhood in less than 25 minutes and drove past his house. It was a small one story home. Had a fenced in backyard, it looked cozy from the outside. A beat up jeep was sitting in the driveway. I looped around the block a few times scoping out the neighbors to see if he had any busy bodies living near him. I wouldn't want anyone calling the police. After about ten minutes I decided to give it a shot. There was a little park at the end of the block. I parked my car and slipped on my leather gloves and got my lock picks out of the glove compartment. I took out the big envelope I keep in my car with fake lawyer forms and walked to his home. I checked the neighbor's houses as I passed them one last time.

I walked up to the front door and knocked. I listened to the door and waited a few minutes to make sure no one was home. I walked around the house and went into the back. There was a hot tub on the deck that looked like it still got use this late in the year. I took out my lock picks and slipped open the lock in no time and walked into the house.

I was standing in a small kitchen with the usual stuff inside, dishwasher, refrigerator, oven, counter and cupboards. I opened the fridge and saw a bunch of Budweiser beer and a lot of ingredients to make pizza bagels. Sitting on the counter was a box of muffins with a note on top that read 'Ellen, I picked these up for you knowing how much you love them. Enjoy. Ken'

Why a family guy like this would be breaking into my office and ambushing me at my home, I had no idea. Something seemed odd to me about this whole thing.

I walked into the living/dining room combo. For a second I thought someone beat me to the house. There were papers scattered all over the place on every surface. Upon closer examination I noticed they were school papers from Big Cities 5th grade Elementary. I assume his wife was a school teacher. From the looks of it, she does more work at home than in the classroom.

I looked around the room and couldn't really find anything in here except the school work. I made my way through the rest of the house. There were three bedrooms. The first one I came to must be Loren's room. She had a picture on her dresser of herself, her mom, and Kenny. I knew she was away at college and figured there wouldn't be anything of use hidden in here. I gave it a quick search and found nothing of interest.

The next room was a guest bedroom. I looked through the drawers and found more school work. This woman, Ellen, really is overworking herself. At least the kids at this school are in good hands even though she is married to a goon.

The last room was the master bedroom. I checked through the drawers and closets, but couldn't really find anything out of the ordinary. Work clothes and some dress clothes were in Ellen's closet and a lot of dock worker clothes and uniforms in Ken's closet. Looking through all the drawers I found nothing as to why Ken would be breaking into my home. I went down into the basement and heard a strange noise coming from the back of the room. Sounded like some animal hissing.

I turned on the light and the basement was a mess. Boxes upon boxes of comic books all over the room with stacks of loose comics scattered on an end table next to a wicker couch. There was a tv and a small fridge down here as well. My guess would be more beer inside the fridge. I saw a desk in the corner with a laptop on it. Sitting on top of the laptop was a small whitish brown and grey kitten. It looked like it was guarding the laptop. It was hissing at me. It was a funny sight and I couldn't help, but laugh. I walked over to the cat and shooed it away and sat down and opened the laptop.

I would finally have some answers as to why this guy is coming after me. As the computer booted up and came to the desktop I shook my head in disgust. The background of the computer was a big picture of some game with the name warcraft in the corner. The only two icons on the computer was a shortcut to the warcraft game and the nook e-reader. I opened up his email account and there was nothing there except junk mail. I dug a little deeper, checking out his trash can and outgoing folders and found no emails as to why he would break into my place. The history on the Internet browser was various book sites for downloading books and the warcraft website.

"You've got to be kidding me. A comic reading, gaming nerd, broke into my home and office for no reason!"

I guess I was going to have to do this the hard way and meet up with Kenny and see what he is up to and who hired him.

I closed the computer and retraced my steps making sure everything was back in order the way I came in and left the house in disgust and a little puzzled. Why the hell did a middle class gamer geek break into my home and office? What could he possibly be looking for? I hadn't found any clues as to his reasons behind the break-ins. On top of it, Louise was no where inside the house. Kenny the goon was really starting to piss me off.
Tuesday Evening

The drive back to my office was a long one. I made a stop to get the window fixed with my mechanic and made an appointment to finally get the car painted so it wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb.

While the car was being repaired, I began thinking about the two cases I was working on. Kenny the goon had me at a dead end at the moment. In order for me to find out why he broke into my house and office and where my gun was, I would have to confront him.

As for Jim Cooper, Anthony was hiding something about Mooch, and I had to find out what that was. I was going to have to find Mooch and give him a little chat or maybe corner Anthony at the bar or somewhere else and get it out of him.

There was the incident with Bob Caster, the trigger happy sedan driver. I have no idea who hired him and why he shot at me. I was going to have to give him a call as well. He might be able to shed some light on some things. I was thinking maybe Mooch hired him, but for what reason I didn't know yet. Maybe Mooch was behind Jim's death and wanted me followed since he knew I was lying, but if that was the case why not have Crystal drug me or kill me. Unless of course he didn't want his girls to know that he may have killed Jim.

I got into my office a little later than expected and decided to call Dwight and see if he had any information about Kenny or if Mooch had a rap sheet. He picked up on the second ring. "Dwight O'Toole."

"Hey Dwight, its Tony, do you have anything in the database on a Mooch? That's the street name he goes by. He is a lowlife pimp and bookie. His name keeps popping up on the Jim Cooper case. The second name I want you to check out is Kenneth Fields."

I could hear Dwight typing on the keyboard. "Give me a few minutes. I just got into the office. I'll call you back."

I was about to tell him I would hold, but he hung up the phone.

I decided to do my own digging into Kenneth Fields. As a private investigator I have my own ways of tapping into databases. It costs money for the public sector, but we could learn a lot about a person for the right amount of money if you knew where to look.

I began with the court systems database to see if he ever had to go to court for something. While it was searching through the database, my phone rang. It was Dwight.

"Hey Dwight, what do you got."

"There is no Mooch in any of our databases. Kenneth Fields though has popped up a few times, but nothing serious. He was arrested a few years ago for an incident that happened at work, a fight with a coworker. The charges were dropped on that case. About a year ago he got arrested for aggravated harassment. According to the case file, he was calling up some woman, Donna Rockwell, and threatening her. He left a few threatening voice mails about some money or something. It never went to trial. The DA couldn't build a strong enough case. She did have an order of protection against him for a bit, but that expired. Nothing else had happened with that case and it was closed out. The last thing he had in the database was that his name popped up as a suspect in a break in. It was with Donna Rockwell again, but there was no proof so he was never called in. Nothing was stolen, but she insists it was him. I just think they had a history and she was trying to get him in trouble. I'll send you a picture of Donna to your phone, maybe it will help you."

"Ok, thanks Dwight. I owe you one." I hung up the phone and sat at my desk for a little while thinking about my next move.

The name Donna Rockwell sounded familiar to me. I would have to look her up, but for the time being I needed to concentrate on Jim Cooper and look into Bob Caster.

I checked out the computer screen and saw that Kenneth Fields did not have any court cases. It matches up with what Dwight told me. I decided to put this on hold for a while since Dwight gave me something to go on. I'll dig into Kenny at a later date. I would have to look into Donna Rockwell as well. I was sure I knew that name.

I think it was time to give Bob Caster a visit. I double checked to make sure my .38 was in its holster and pulled up the directions to his house. He lived somewhere in the suburbs and would probably take a good hour to get there. This bastard shot at me and it was time to give him some payback.

By the time I got to Bob's house it was close to 6 pm. The black Sedan was in the driveway as well as a few other cars. This complicated things. I did not want to kick in the door, guns blazing if the man had a family. I decided to stake out his house. The life of a Private Investigator has trained me for the hours of never ending boredom during a stakeout. Since I had done this a million times, I had some tricks up my sleeves that could come in handy.

Fall time was the best time of year to do a stakeout in Big City. It got dark early during the fall. Sunset was usually around 5pm, so right now at 6 it was nice and dark, the weather was a bit chilly, but doable with a jacket without freezing. I parked down the block a little and shut off my car. I popped the trunk and opened up my little spy gadget case. Inside I had all the gadgets I would need for a stakeout. I grabbed a miniature GPS and a parabolic listening device, as well as some infrared binoculars that had a built in camera. The first thing I was going to have to do is place the GPS on his car. That was easy enough to do. I slunk down and made my way to his house. Being in the suburbs had its advantages; most people had bushes and trees along their properties. I was able to sneak right to his next door neighbor's house. I double checked all around to make sure no one was outside or looking out any windows and crouched down real low, once I got to his car I lay down and slid underneath it quickly and attached the GPS to the underside of his car. I turned it on and made a hasty retreat back to my car.

Once inside my car I turned on my phone's GPS tracking program and punched in the code for the GPS I just put on Bob's car. The small map of the neighborhood popped up and a red dot started blinking on it, showing me where Bob's car was.

"Now I got you Bob, there is no hiding from me once you leave your house."

I aimed the listening device towards Bob's house, this thing was tricky to use when you were in a neighborhood, if you didn't have a direct line to the house than you would pick up the other houses and things in the line of sight of the device. I started picking up different tv programs that people were watching. I wasn't sure if they were coming from Bob's or his neighbors. I had no idea what Bob sounded like so I couldn't tell if I was getting his house or his neighbors whenever someone spoke. I decided that the listening device would have to wait until later on and I used the binoculars.

I flipped on the infrared and looked through them and saw three heat signatures inside Bob's house. All of them were in one room sitting down. At least now I knew he did not live alone and I would have to wait until he leaves the house.

I couldn't chance pulling up closer to his house, because he knew what my car looked like and he would spot me instantly. I would just have to wait him out.

After about an hour, 2 dog walkers, and a jogger, Bob Caster walked outside his house bringing the garbage cans to the street. He was talking on the phone so I grabbed my listening device and aimed it at him. I knew I would only get one side of the conversation, but maybe I would get lucky this time.

"Yeah I followed him just liked you asked me to."

Bob walked around the front yard pacing as he listened in on the other end, which I couldn't hear.

"I didn't get a chance to see where he was going."

Bob began to look agitated as he paced faster around the yard.

"He found me out, ditched me and then came up behind me and rammed my fucking car."

Bob stopped and took the phone away from his ear and looked at it like the person on the other end was crazy, than put it to his ear again.

"Of course he didn't follow me. I took a shot at him and blew out his window. He shot back at me. I shot out his headlight when he tried to come at me again. He stopped pretty quickly after that and I got away."

Bob was beginning to pace again and I could tell he was getting worried talking to the other person. I could hear the tension in his voice.

"Listen, I didn't sign on to break into anyone's house or kidnap people. You paid me to follow him. I can try again tomorrow if you want me to. I am not breaking into his house. You can get someone else to do that. I'm not going to jail for you."

Bob stopped again and listened for a few minutes. I could hear yelling coming from the phone but couldn't make out any words.

"Screw you, I'm not doing it. I don't care what you do. Find another stooge."

Bob hung up the phone and walked back inside and slammed the door. This mystery person was trying to find out something about me, but without hearing the other side of the conversation, I had no idea what it was. I better be careful the next few days and look out for someone coming after me. Just what I needed, another person breaking into my office and wrecking it after I just cleaned the damned thing.

I waited around another hour and decided to give it a rest for the night and was going to try the Watering Hole to see if Kenneth was out and about tonight. If I got lucky, maybe he would be there and I could get Louise back and some information on what he wants. I'm sure it has something to do with Donna Rockwell.
Tuesday Night

The Watering Hole was your classic little dive bar. It had a tv mounted up on the wall and a jukebox in the corner. There were seven wooden tables with seats scattered about the joint. In the corner you had a pool table and a dart board. There was a door leading to a small kitchen on the right and another door behind the pool table heading to the bathroom. It wasn't that crowded. I scanned the bar and tables and didn't see Kenneth, but there were a few people in the place. Maybe someone knew Kenneth. I made my way to the bar and slipped off my jacket. I was still wearing my suit and had my gun underneath the suit jacket so I would have to leave that on.

I ordered a southern comfort on the rocks from the guy behind the bar. He was wearing a dark tee shirt that said "The Watering Hole" on it and he had on an apron tied about his waist. He was a tall skinny guy with long black hair. He looked more like a rocker than a bartender.

Sitting at the bar were a couple of ladies that looked like they might have had one too many and a guy playing one of those trivia machines. I figured I would start with the bartender and work my way around the room. I slipped him a fifty for my drink.

"Keep the change if you could answer a few questions for me."

The bartender took the fifty and paid for my drink and slipped the rest in his tip jar. "Sure thing if I could help."

I took out the picture of Kenneth I had in my jacket pocket and showed it to the bartender, watching for any signs of body language or facial expressions.

"Do you know this guy? His name is Kenneth Fields. He works over at Big City Seafood. I hear he's a regular."

The kid took the picture and gave it a good once over and handed it back to me.

"Yeah, I know him, what do you want to know?"

"For starters, does he usually come in tonight?"

The kid took a glass from under the bar and began wiping it with a rag as he talked.

"Nah, he usually comes in towards the end of the week, Thursdays are a good day for him. I think he gets paid Thursday, and he usually comes in during the weekends also."

"What type of person is he? Does he get into fights when he's here, or get into arguments a lot?"

"Not really, he is a pretty mellow drunk. He comes in with a bunch of the guys from work and they have a few beers. They usually come in around 5 or so and stay until 9. I've never seen him get into a fight or confrontation. He usually complains about work and money problems."

I took out my phone and showed him the picture of Donna Rockwell.

"Have you ever seen this lady?"

He took my phone and looked at it closely and shook his head.

"Nope, I've never seen her around here."

I took the phone back and slipped it into my pocket. "Have you ever heard him talking about Donna Rockwell?"

The kid paused while he was washing the glass and he had a far away look to him as if he was trying to remember something.

"I have heard him say that name a few times. I couldn't tell you what it was about, but when he does talk about her he is usually mad. Something about her stealing a lot of money from him. He blames her for his money problems."

The door opened and I could hear people laughing loudly. The kid looked up and nodded his head towards the people that just walked in.

I turned to look and it was two dockworkers from Big City Seafood. They were laughing and sat down at a table, one of the guys yelled to the bartender.

"Hey Doug, give us three pitchers of your finest tap beer."

Doug the bartender gave them a wave and began pouring the pitchers as he said to me. "They work with Kenny, why don't you go talk to them. They may know more about this than I do."

I paid for the pitchers and carried them over to the table as I smiled broadly.

"Here you go gentlemen, on me and if you don't mind answering a few questions I'll buy you another round as well."

They exchanged questioning glances at one another before nodding to the extra chair at the table. One of the men spoke up.

"What kind of questions do we have to answer for your generosity?"

I sat down and gave them a cheerful expression, trying to ease their suspicions of me.

I slipped out one of my cards from the law office and put it on the table.

"My name is Tony Gavel. I work for the law firm Decker and Sons. I was looking into a case that happened about a year ago or so, between one of your co-workers Kenneth Fields and a woman named Donna Rockwell. From what I understand, this woman stole money from Kenneth and there have been a few incidents between them. I was looking for Kenneth, but I missed him at work today. I tried him at his home, but no one was there. I came here knowing it's one of his hang outs. My law firm is re-opening this case and I am trying to find out anything I can to help Kenneth get what's owed him."

They seemed to ease up a little as the listened to my tale and drank some of the beer.

"If you can tell me anything you know about the case I would be more than happy to buy you another round. I am sure Kenneth would appreciate any help he could get in this matter to get his money back."

Trying to con people into giving you information was a very tricky business. You needed to act like you knew what you were talking about and not look like you're lying through your teeth. You needed to play it cool and calm and not act nervous when you're in the middle of the big lie. If they suspect that your lying they may just walk away, some people have become violent, others just give you false information.

They thought it over for a few minutes looking at one another, giving each other knowing glances. Finally they nodded as one and the bigger of the two guys began talking.

"Sure, we could tell you a little bit of what happened. I think everyone on the docks that work with Kenny has heard this story one time or another."

The man took a sip of his beer and continued his story as the other guy drank and listened.

"About a year ago Kenny found something very valuable. If I remember correctly it was a platinum necklace embedded with quite a few diamonds. He held on to it for a few days trying to find the rightful owner. He was down on his luck at the time and was hoping for a payday for finding the necklace. That's where Donna Rockwell came in. She worked for Kay Jewelers. Kenny found out that someone bought the necklace from their and was offering a reward for the necklace. Donna contacted him and told him that she had the owners reward and that she would meet him and swap the necklace for the reward, no questions asked."

The man drained his beer and began to refill his cup when the other guy took over the story.

"They made up a meeting for the exchange and when Kenny got there he was jumped and the necklace was stolen from him. He blamed Donna and began calling her at work, but she never actually worked there. He began calling and leaving threatening voice mails and he got arrested for that. Next thing you know this Donna chick up and leaves Big City. He couldn't find her anywhere."

I finally remembered where I knew the name Donna Rockwell. I was hired around a year ago to find her, she went missing and I think it was her sister that hired me to find her. I never did find where she went, but had a bunch of leads as to her whereabouts. I would have to check into this more when I got the time back at the office. That's what Kenny was probably after. Any clues as to where she ran off to.

"A few weeks ago Kenny started talking about Donna again. Saying he had some ideas on how to find her and get that necklace back. He wouldn't tell anyone what he knew, but said that the money was going to be his soon."

I slipped a twenty onto the table for the next round of beer.

"So as far as anyone knows, Kenny still doesn't have the necklace and Donna was the one that stole it from him and she's still missing?"

They both nodded as they drank their beers.

"Ok gentlemen. Thanks for the information. When you see Kenny, give him my card and tell him to give me a call. I will try his house again tomorrow and see if we can get him that reward. I know a guy that specializes in missing persons and maybe we can find this Donna."

They both thanked me and I walked out of the bar thinking about this new information. It made sense now why Kenny was breaking into my offices. He was trying to find what leads I had to hunt down Donna Rockwell and get the necklace back. I never knew about the necklace. It made sense why he would break into Donna's house. He was looking for the necklace.

Donna was probably a con lady that found out some how that Kenny found this necklace, and the way it sounded, it was probably worth a lot to the right people.

It was getting late and I was getting tired. I would pick this up tomorrow, time to go home and get some shut eye.
Wednesday Morning

The buzzing of my alarm pounded in my head as I reached over to shut it off. I glanced at the clock and it was 4:45 am. I was not looking forward to today. It was going to be a long day. I planned on checking out Jimmy the Clam Man and then a long day sitting in the office doing research and paper work.

I took a quick shower and ate some breakfast before I headed out. The sky was cloudy and it looked like it was going to pour any minute. I got to Jimmy's address a little before 6am. I noticed a big Ford truck in his driveway and a small convertible. I parked two houses down and got my camera out. I took a few pictures of his house and cars and waited. I didn't have to wait long before I saw Jimmy walk out of his house. It was getting late in the season to go clamming, but I guess he knew of some places that still had some clams left. As I was watching and taking pictures, he walked into his garage. He came out with an ax and walked around the side of his house. From my angle I couldn't really see what he was up to. I heard wood chopping. I got out of my car and made my way closer to his house. I scanned the neighbors house to see if anyone was watching, but I didn't see anyone. As I got closer, the chopping sound grew louder.

The neighbor had bushes surrounding his property. I crouched low and made my way along the bushes. When the chopping sound was right on top of me I stopped and parted the bushes to see if I could get anything. I saw Jimmy chopping firewood. I took a few pictures of him splitting the wood. After he finished the first log he picked up a heavy piece and put it on the chopping block and started up again. I got pictures of him carrying the heavy logs. I watched him for about 45 minutes carrying the heavy logs and splitting them, then stacking them on the side of his house. I took about two dozen pictures before I made my way back to the car. At this point I had more then enough evidence to prove he was scamming work.

Jimmy put the ax back in the garage and came out with a big heavy sack slung over his shoulder. He took a few trips from his garage, throwing each sack into the back of the truck. I took a few pictures of that as well. There were five sacks in all. When he was done he got in the truck and headed out. I followed him at a good distance so he wouldn't notice me. The first stop he made was at a local seafood market. He pulled in front of the place and got out, picking up the sack and bringing it inside. I got a few pictures of it. He came back outside fifteen minutes later counting a was of cash. He slipped it into his pocket and drove to the next spot. I followed him to all five spots, taking pictures as we went. After he went into the last building I figured I had enough and drove back to the office. By the time I got there the rain was coming down hard.

I went into the building and grabbed my mail from the box in the lobby, before going to my office. I threw my jacket on the coat rack, and sat at my desk. I took my gun out of the holster and slipped it into the desk drawer so it would be handy if I needed it. Someone was after me and I had no idea if or when they would come.

I went through the mail and there was nothing of interest, but some bills to pay. There was a thank you note for a case I finished up last week with a small check as a bonus on a job well done.

"I hate checks." I mumbled as I put the check in the drawer.

I fired up the computer and put on a pot of coffee and took out my note pad to catch up on some of the paper work.

The first order of business was for Merissa Talbert. I began giving her a detailed breakdown of what I'd done so far on the case and logged the hours down.

It wasn't much yet but I'd gotten some leads and some interesting things that had happened so far in the case. I told her all about Mooch, the fight and about the hookers. I didn't give my suspicions about the hookers or what the fight could be about. Now that I think back on it, I should talk to Mooch's girls to see if any of them know anything that happened between Mooch and Jim, or even Mooch and Anthony. Hookers hear things and for the right amount of money, I am sure I could find out some things if I played it smart.

Once I finished up with Merissa's report I decided to do some research into Bob Caster and dig up Donna Rockwell's old file. I did the normal searches for Bob in the public databases. I checked out the court systems, mortgage companies, Town Clerks office to get a hold of any marriages or divorces, checked with credit card companies to see what kind of credit or debt he may have and to check if he had any liens on his house. While I was searching the town clerks office, I pulled up his home address and checked to see which bank held his mortgage and checked to see if he owed any back taxes.

While those requests were being done, I opened up my case files and pulled up Donna Rockwell's case.

I was hired in the beginning of the year to find a missing person named Donna Rockwell by her sister Jennifer. I had Jennifer's contact information and a detailed report of what I did for her and what she paid me. Donna went missing towards the end of December last year and her sister had hired me in January. I had a picture of Donna in my files and it matched the picture that Dwight sent me. I had her last known address and house phone and cell phone numbers. I knew that she was a licensed Massage Therapist and had her license on file with the Department of Health.

When I started the case, I found she jumped around Big City for a few months and I was always a step behind her. She stayed at a friend's house, a boyfriend, even an old college roommate. I had all the statements from the interviews recorded in the file.

After a few months of looking she finally disappeared from Big City. I knew she bought a bus ticket and headed out of state on her way to Florida, but she could have gotten off anywhere in between. She disconnected her cell phone and stopped using credit cards, so her trail went cold. I still have her credit cards flagged from a friend of mine that works with the credit company, but they have not had any use since she'd left Big City. About six months ago I was doing some follow up work into finding Donna Rockwell and found out that she applied for a new license in Massage Therapy down south. I was able to find a current address and phone number and gave Jennifer a call, she was very pleased with the results and gave me a bonus for my troubles.

The hard copies of the files in my office are all old cases. Two years ago I switched over to an all digital filing system. I just haven't gotten around to converting everything and cleaning up. That's why Kenny couldn't find anything. Donna's file was now stored away in the computer.

I printed up everything I had on Donna Rockwell and put it in a folder. Next time I had a run in with Kenny maybe I would help him out. After I gave him a little payback from breaking in and stealing from me and zapping me with a taser. I also wanted Louise back. I gave his house a call and the answering machine came on.

"Hello, this is Tony Gavel. I'm leaving a message for Kenneth Fields. Give me a call and we can set up a time to meet, I got what you've been looking for the last few days. If you want it call me, or come by my office tomorrow around noonish. I'm sure you know where it is, since you've been here already and familiarized yourself with it."

I hung up the phone and pulled up my GPS program and checked where Bob Caster was at the moment. The GPS showed him driving close to where Jim Cooper lived. "Why you going to Jim's house Bob?"

I checked on some of the requests I did on Bob to see if any of them came back. The requests from the City Clerk came back.

Bob Caster was born 03/18/1965 in Borland County, right outside of Big City. He's been married to Janice Overton for the last 14 years and owned his home. He didn't owe any back taxes, but he did take out a second mortgage on his home a year ago for $35,000. The search also gave me a truncated Social Security number.

I went to one of the P.I. Databases, Tracersinfo.com, and imputed the first five digits of his social security number into the Social Security Number Expander and in a few moments it gave me the completed Social Security number of Bob Caster, which I wrote down.

The checks from the courthouses came back negative, so Bob never went to court for anything criminal or otherwise. Since Dwight ran his name through the system Bob was a squeaky clean type of guy. So how does a squeaky clean guy wind up shooting at me and taking orders from someone to do things? Doesn't seem like the right career move in my opinion.

Thinking about it kind of makes sense though. I assume Bob was talking to Mooch, and I know Mooch, besides being a pimp, was a bookie and a loan shark. Maybe Bob owes him money and is doing odd jobs for Mooch.

Then an idea hit me, maybe the fight Jim and Anthony had was about owing money to Mooch. Maybe Anthony bets with Mooch or borrowed money from Mooch and Jim found out and threatened to tell Anthony's wife about it, if he didn't clean up his act. Loan sharks are known to break a few bones and some go to the extreme lengths of killing to put other clients in line.

I would have to find Mooch and talk to him, or if I'm lucky talk to Anthony about this. Maybe some of Mooch's girls could shed light on this also. This makes more sense than anything else at the moment.

I called Merissa to ask her if Anthony was a big gambler, but she didn't answer the phone. I left her a message to call back when she could, so that I could ask her. I didn't say what it pertains to on the voice mail in case Anthony listens to them.

I emailed all my pictures I took of Jimmy the Clam Man to John Decker and left a voice mail telling him what I found out.
Wednesday Afternoon

I grabbed something to eat from the vending machine in the hallway and checked to see what Bob Caster was up to. The GPS showed him at Jim Cooper's house still. I decided to head over there and confront him, or in the very least check out his house and see what I could come up with.

I made sure my gun was in the holster and grabbed the folder containing Donna Rockwell's file and headed out of the office.

By the time I got to Jim's neighborhood, Bob Caster was gone. I figured since I made the trip I would see what I could find in the house. Maybe get an idea of what Bob was looking for. I'm sure something is in there if someone went to the trouble of sending Bob to break in.

The advantage of an upscale neighborhood was that the neighbor's weren't on top of each other. The downside was that my car would stick out like a sore thumb in the middle of the day if someone would happen to see me. I was going to have to play it smart this time. I opened up my glove box and got out a fingerprint kit I kept in there. I got the brush and spray and made my way to the gate. I slipped on my leather gloves and sprayed the lock down and used the brush to check and see which numbers were pushed to gain entrance to the house.

There were eight numbers that had fingerprints on them. Eight numbers gave out endless possibilities. I looked over the notes I had on Jim and tried his birthday, that didn't work. I didn't know how many chances I would get before the alarm company would be informed. I tried Merissa's birthday, no luck.

I put my head against the steering wheel. "Think Tony, think."

I tried the date his company was started and the lights flashed green and the gate opened. "Score one for the good guys." I drove up his driveway and the gate closed behind me. I just hoped the police weren't alerted to someone trying to gain entry onto the property.

I parked Rust Bucket as close to the house as possible hidden from the street and grabbed my lock picks out of the glove box and made my way to the back of the house.

I made quick work of the back door lock and entered the kitchen. I shut the door behind me and walked into the living room where I found Jim the first time. The music was off and there was plenty of light coming into the room through the windows. The scent of pine cleaner assaulted my senses when I entered the room. The cleaners had already came from county and cleaned the house of blood.

Now that I could see around the place, Jim had done really well for himself. He had the finest in electronics and gadgetry around the room. All his furniture was high end stuff. I knew nothing of interest would be in this room so I decided to start with the office. I wanted to take another crack at the computer to see if I could find anything useful in there.

The office was in the same shape I left it, but the computer was missing. I wonder if Bob took it. I sat at the desk and started to go through each drawer. The usual desk supplies were inside the drawers; paper, pens and pencils, scissors, a note pad.

There was a closet in the corner left open. One of those big fire proof safes was in the back of the closet. I am sure Bob saw it, but it was way too heavy to lift by one person. It had a big dial in the middle of the safe and a lever to pop it open if you got the combination right. I had no chance of ever cracking this safe without any help and I'm sure there would be something useful in there or at least point me in the right direction. I grabbed my notepad and wrote down the make and model, hoping to get some kind of info from the company that made it. I tried a few of the basic combos trying to see if any of them worked but usually the company had the combinations built in to them. I'm betting he has the combination somewhere on his computer.

That gave me an idea, so I went back out to my car and popped the trunk and pulled out a little spy camera from my gadget suitcase. If I couldn't get in the safe I will at least know who did. I also took out one of my newest gadgets that could detect listening devices and hidden cameras. It was about 8 inches long and looked like a small paddle. When I turned it on and moved it across a surface it would beep if it came in contact with any hidden electrical device.

I went back to the office and hid the camera above the doorway pointing towards the closet. It had motion sensors built into it. It would begin recording on my computer whenever someone walked into this room and moved around. I would just have to activate the camera when I left.

Once satisfied that nothing else was in this room that could help me I walked out of the room and activated the camera with an app from my phone.

I headed upstairs to check out the rest of the house. I started in the main bedroom.

There was a king size bed in the middle of the room and he had a huge walk-in closet. Their was a nice sized plasma tv attached to the wall. He had a small dresser along the wall and an end table next to the bed with a lamp, wallet, keys, and cell phone on it. There was a full length mirror behind the door. Next to the door was an intercom that I assumed buzzed when someone hit the button at the gate. It had a talk button and an open button with a little speaker on the side.

The closet had clothes and shoes in it, but nothing else. I searched the bedroom with the wand and I found a small camera built into a painting across from the bed. This camera was well hidden and I wasn't sure if it was connected to the security program he had on his computer or if it was recorded onto something else. The camera was running at the moment so it must have motion sensors to turn it on whenever someone walked into the room.

I sat down on the bed and began looking around for a switch. I am sure if Jim was recording things in his room than there would be one handy. I found it on the side of the end table, four little buttons that I assumed turned the camera off, so I pushed them all.

"So you liked to make home movies Jim."

I got up off the bed, smoothed it down and began searching the room again, looking for anything hidden from normal view. I moved the rug and looked for some loose floor boards, knocked on all the walls, searching for a empty wall panel. I checked under the bed, I couldn't find anything. I went back into the closet and turned on the light and began searching inside. In the back of the closet behind a few shoe boxes I found some loose floor boards. I pried them open with my keys and found another laptop inside the secret compartment. I took the computer and saw a detachable hard drive next to it and grabbed that as well. I would have to go over this back at the office later on when I had more time. I put everything back the way I found it and grabbed Jim's wallet and cell phone before I left the master bathroom.

There were three other bedrooms on the second floor of his house and I searched them all. Each room was nicely decorated, and all had end tables with a phone and lamp. Empty walk-in closets, and paintings decorating the walls. I found in each room across from the bed, a little camera hidden in one of the paintings. Now it made sense why there were four buttons on the end table in Jim's room, one for each camera. There was nothing else of interest in each of the bedrooms.

I did a quick search of the rest of the house. He had a full basement that was turned into a man cave. Pool table, full length bar, giant plasma tv along the wall, a big leather couch. There was nothing of interest in the basement though. I did find another camera above the bar pointed at the couch. Jim was very security conscious. How did his killer go undetected with all these camera's in the house. There has to be something in one of these recordings that will help me find out what happened.

I left the house, relocked the door and decided it was time to get out of there. I looked at my watch, it read 3:45, and I spent over two hours at the house.
Wednesday Evening

I made it back to the office by 4:30, locked the doors and put up the closed sign. I sat down at my desk and opened Jim's laptop to see what I could find. Maybe something was said on one of the recordings that would give me a clue as to why Jim was dead. When the computer came on, it had 2 folders, one labeled Bedrooms and the other Basement. Each folder contained sub-folders of each month of the year and inside each of these were folders for each day of the month. I clicked on the Thursday before he died and it had 6 recordings inside it. Each recording lasted 1 hour, which I guessed was the default timer on the cameras. I clicked on the last recording for Thursday night.

Jim walked into the room and was saying something, but I couldn't see who he was talking to or hear anyone else.

"Hey, why don't you come up stairs?"

Jim was getting undressed and wrapped a towel around him.

"Come join me in the shower. I need someone to wash my back."

I could barely hear the reply from a woman. Jim frowned and shrugged his shoulders. "Suit yourself, I'll be right down. You're not being any fun today."

Jim went into the master bath and I could hear the water running. I fast forwarded a little, watching to see if someone came into the room, but nothing happened. After about 10 minutes, Jim came out of the shower, dried himself off and slipped on a pair of silk pajama pants with no shirt and walked out of the room.

"Here I come; I hope you're ready for me." I heard him say and then nothing. I fast forwarded through the rest of the tape and he never came back into his room Thursday night.

I went back and clicked on Friday's folder and there were a few recordings in there as well. So he was still alive on Friday it seems. The first one was about two in the morning. I clicked on it and saw Jim walk into the room in his pajama pants. His hair was glued to his head and his body was covered in sweat. He jumped into the shower and went to bed afterward.

The next recording was when he woke up that morning. The tape started when he got out of bed. I assumed the motion sensor was in the floor and it started when someone moved in the room. He did his daily routine of jumping in the shower and then he got dressed in black dress pants with a red silk shirt and matching tie. He grabbed his wallet and keys off the end table and walked out of the room. I zipped through the rest of that recording and he never came back. The time stamp for that recording said 9:30 am. He must have gone to work Friday morning, I will have to confirm that with Merissa when I talk to her again.

The next recording was at 12:57pm. Jim walked into his room and had a bloody rag pressed against his nose. Jim threw the rag onto the end table and took off his shirt and looked at it in disgust. Jim walked into the bathroom and I could hear the water running. After a few minutes he came back out drying his face and walked into the closet, then came out with a green silk shirt and matching tie.

"I told him to fix this shit. When is he going to learn not to deal with these people? Merissa has to know, this is getting out of hand."

I stopped the tape and rewound it and played it again, this time I wrote down what Jim said and the time he said it.

Jim pulled out his cell phone and made a call while he was fixing his tie in the mirror. "Hey Merissa, are we still on for tonight?" Jim grabbed the rag and walked out of the room. I couldn't hear anything else.

The next recording was at 6 o'clock. Jim walked into the room and got undressed and put his keys, cell phone and wallet on the end table. I assumed he was getting ready for his date with Merissa. While he was in the shower his cell phone rang a few times.

I took out Jim's cell phone and looked at the missed call list. There were a bunch of calls from Merissa and a call from myself. I looked at the time stamp on the video recording and then checked the phone; it had Mooch listed as the person who called while he was in the shower.

Jim finished showering and walked into his bedroom while drying himself off. He went into his closet and got out some clothes for his date. As he was getting dressed the intercom buzzed.

"Hey Jim you there?"

I didn't recognize the voice, but it was definitely a male. Jim pushed the button. "Hey Mooch, what are you doing here?"

The intercom buzzed again. "I need to talk to you about something. It's important. I won't be long though, let me in."

Jim pushed the button. "Ok, give me a second. I just got out of the shower and I'm getting dressed. Come on up."

The time stamp on the recording said 6:15pm.

Jim hit the open button on the intercom and finished getting dressed; once he was done he walked out of the room. I fast forwarded through the rest of the recording and Jim never came back into his room. There were no other recordings.

I wrote down some notes and thought about it for a few minutes. The last person to see Jim alive was Mooch at 6:15pm Friday evening. I didn't hear a gunshot during the recording and something that loud would have been picked up unless the gun had a silencer.

I picked up my phone and called Dwight, after two rings he picked up. "Dwight O'Toole."

"Hey Dwight, Can you look something up for me about Jim Cooper? What was his official time of death from the coroners report?"

"You're still on this case Tony? Give me a minute to look it up. Hey while you're on the phone, Paddy wants to know if you're coming over for her annual Halloween party this year. She's making up her list and told me to ask you, she also wants to know if you're going to bring a date this year."

"Tell her I'm hoping to make it. I am going on vacation when I finish up these few cases I'm working on. I should be back in time. If I do come, I'll be solo."

"You really need to get out and socialize more Tony. You're not getting any younger. You can't keep blaming yourself for Mary. Going fishing by yourself is not socializing; you need to get out more. Find someone to actually bring to the cabin."

I knew Dwight was only looking out for my best interests, but it still hurt to hear him say it.

"Shit Dwight, I've been so busy with work I don't have time to date."

"Stop making excuses Tony, get out there and have some fun for a change."

I was about to reply when Dwight said. "Here it is. The official time of death was 8:30 give or take an hour. Why do you need to know his time of death? Do you have something for me?"

I thought about what to tell him, but decided to keep it to myself for now.

"Not yet Dwight, Just working on a time line to see what I can come up with during his last day alive. If I find out anything substantial I'll let you know."

Dwight sounded skeptical.

"No cowboy Shit Tony, I'm warning you. If you find something that proves he was murdered you let me know and we'll handle it."

"Thanks Dwight. I'll talk to you soon."

I hung up the phone before he had a chance to say anything else. I began sketching out a time line of everything I knew Jim did on Friday. It had big chunks missing in it and a few things I would have to check with Merissa, but at least I had something concrete to work with.

As I was looking at the time line, my cell phone rang. The number didn't look familiar to me. "Hi, this is Tony."

I could hear loud music in the background and people laughing and cheering.

"Hey Tony, I don't know if you remember me. This is Aerial from the Stadium Sports Bar. I wanted to give you a heads up, Anthony just walked in here and ordered a drink. I figured you might want to know so you could come down."

How could I forget Aerial? Five foot three, maybe 110 pounds after a shower and curves in all the right places. She had those misty blue eyes that you could get lost in. What's wrong with me? Here I am fantasizing about a barmaid when she was calling me to tell me Anthony was at the bar. She had no interest in me. She probably just wanted some extra cash and figured I would tip her for the call.

"Oh sure the bartender, I remember you." I silently cursed myself. Real smooth Tony. "Thanks for the call. I'll come down. Might take me about half an hour or so. Try and stall him for me if he tries to leave. I owe you Aerial."
Wednesday Night

I grabbed my keys and my expandable baton that Dwight had given me one year for Christmas, along with a course in how to use it for self defense. I didn't need my gun, but if there was going to be trouble I wanted to be ready for it this time. I grabbed Jim's laptop to keep it with me in case someone tried to break in to get it. I left my office just after 8pm.

I pulled into the parking lot of The Stadium Sports Bar at 8:27pm. The parking lot was full tonight, must be some game on. I found a spot around the back of the building and walked inside the bar. There were people everywhere watching a hockey game on the tv's. I spotted Anthony sitting at the bar and Aerial noticed me standing in the doorway. I pointed to a Standing area in the back of the room, which gave me a clear view of Anthony at the bar. Aerial saw where I was going and nodded. After a few minutes a waitress came over with a glass of Southern Comfort on the rocks and slipped me a note. I thanked her, paid for the drink and opened the note.

It said: Anthony's on his second Jack and Coke. He is very interested in the hockey game and said the Big City Blades had better win tonight or he is in big trouble. It had a little smiley face on the bottom and was signed A.

Was she flirting with me? I looked up and gave her a smile and thumbs up. She smiled back at me and gave me a wink before going on to the next customer. She looked good tonight with her hair pulled back into a pony tail, wearing those skin tight shorts and tied up tee-shirt.

"Focus Gavel." I muttered to myself.

I sipped my drink and watched Anthony. He was so focused on the game he looked like a junkie waiting for his next fix.

Hockey was a big sport here in Big City. We had our own professional team, The Big City Blades, which just joined the AHL two years ago. They were still a growing team and they had a good draft this season with a lot of up and coming kids that made the team. I was a fan of them and tried to watch any games I could if I wasn't working. The game on tonight was The Big City Blades versus The Midland Mavericks. The game was tied 2-2 with about a minute to go in the second period. The Blades star player was Edvard Rosendahl, a 19 year old kid from Sweden that had broken every record in the Swedish Elite League and came to America to play for the AHL. The Blades got him as their first overall pick last year and he has been great for the team. Whenever he had the puck people were glued to the set, watching his every move. So far this season, during the first 8 games, he already had 7 goals and 4 assists.

Rosendahl had the puck now and was skating up the ice, he dodged one defender and had a breakaway. Time seemed to slow down when this kid had the puck and the whole bar was watching. He skated across the blue line and came up the left side of the ice. The goalie for the Mavericks, Braedon Clarke, came out to challenge him and tried to poke the puck away from him with his stick. Rosendahl made a quick move with his hands and slid the puck behind him as he moved to the right of Clarke. The puck went around Clarke's stick and Rosendahl scooped it back up and lifted a shot over Clarke's left shoulder into the net just as the buzzer sounded for the end of the second period. The Bar erupted in cheers, including myself. The guy next to me slapped me on the back and I turned and gave him a smile. When I turned back to see what Anthony was doing, I noticed that he was gone.

I saw Aerial taking away his drink and than putting a fresh one down at his spot. I sighed with relief. He must be going to the bathroom. I would hate to have wasted a trip here to get nothing out of him because I was caught up in the game. I was watching Aerial and she looked up and caught me staring at her. I gave her an awkward smile and she winked at me. After a few minutes Anthony came back to his seat and began watching the tv again. I noticed Aerial walk out from behind the bar and begin to navigate her way through the crowd towards me.

I put my drink down on the shelf and turned towards the wall and quickly ran my hand through my hair. I turned just as she got to me. She smiled at me suggestively. The scent of Jasmine floated off her body when she got close. I gave her a coy smile. I was definitely bad at all this flirting.

"Hello handsome. I was wondering what it took for you to come back and visit me. I thought since you weren't coming back on your own ,I would give you a reason to come see me."

I must've had a stupid look on my face because she began to laugh. How was I supposed to know she wanted me to come back and see her? I will never understand women.

"I uh, planned on coming back. I really did. I've been caught up on this case and was trying to get it done."

"I heard that about you. All work and no play." She said with a flirtatious grin.

I was perplexed by her statement.

"And who have you been talking to?"

She laughed that sweet melodious laugh.

"I know quite a bit about you Mr. Gavel, Golden Gloves champion at the age of sixteen, then headed into the police academy after you graduated Big City University with a degree in criminal psychology. Won a silver medal during college on the wrestling team. Youngest detective ever on the force, then you freelanced as a private investigator on the side until you finally quit the police department to become a PI full time. Your not the only one with investigative skills." She said with a sly wink.

I was impressed and nodded my head.

"Very impressive." Anyone with a computer, which knows their way around Google, could have found that out, but I didn't say anything. She went through the trouble of looking me up, so the least I could do is be nice about it.

She leaned in closer to me and I could feel the warmth of her body so close to mine. She put her hand on my arm as she spoke.

"When I see something I like, I try to find out everything about it. And you Mr. Gavel, I like." She said it as a matter of fact and I was at a loss for words. I am not used to women being so forward with me or just don't recognize it when it happens. The game was about to start the third period. Aerial handed me a set of keys and gave me a wink.

"These are Anthony's. I took them when he went to the bathroom." She turned and hurried back to the bar. I stood there dumbfounded.

In the opening minutes of the period, the Mavericks scored a goal to tie it up and Anthony was getting angry and slammed his fist on the bar. He was yelling at the tv and some people around him looked at him and shook their heads. He finished his drink in one swallow and ordered another one. Not paying attention to anything else but the tv screen. The game went on and I finished up my drink watching Anthony, from time to time Aerial would look my way and smile or give me a wink. There were a few minutes left in the game when the Mavericks scored again. The Blades were now losing 4-3 with about 2 minutes left. Anthony was fidgeting in his seat and cursing loud enough for me to hear him. A few people at the bar told him to calm down and he ignored them. During the last few seconds of the game the Blades tried to make a valiant come back, but were stopped short and lost the game 4-3.

Anthony was livid and threw money on the bar and walked out. I gave Aerial a wave and followed him outside. She waved back and made the gesture to call her and I nodded. I followed Anthony around the back of the bar. He was standing in front of his car looking for his keys when I walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Looking for these Anthony?" I asked him as I held up his keys.

Anthony turned and scowled when he recognized me.

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to leave me alone. Give me my keys."

I dangled them in his face and he made a grab for them as I pulled them away.

"Not until you answer some questions Mr. Talbert."

Just than Anthony swung his fist at me and hit me right in the jaw. It hurt like hell and I was not prepared for him to get violent. As I stumbled back towards his car he charged and tackled me, trying to get his keys away from my hand. When we hit the ground I threw his keys under the car and tried to roll our bodies so I would come out on top of him. With Anthony being so drunk I was able to do it with ease.

"Listen, I don't want to hurt you. I just want to ask you some questions, but if you want to do this the hard way."

Anthony tried to wiggle his body out from under me and I sighed. I punched him right in the nose just hard enough to make his eyes water and for him to see stars. A little blood started to drip out of his nose. He stopped wiggling after that.

"Are you going to cooperate now?"

He nodded and I got off him and gave him my hand to help him up. He leaned up against the car, wiping the blood from his nose.

I stood close enough to him so that if he tried to run I would be able to grab him. I kept ready for any chance he might take a swing at me again.

"What was the fight about between you and Jim, that he threatened to go to your wife? I know it involved Mooch."

Anthony looked like a defeated man and he slumped down along the side of his car and began to cry.

"My wife is going to kill me. I should have listened to Jim."

This guy was pathetic. I was having a hard time not picking him up and shaking the truth out of him. "Go on."

"It started a few years ago. Jim and I were doing great at Save Space Inc. The cash was coming in and I had more money then I ever had in my entire life. I invested some of it and bought Merissa a few things that she always wanted, but just never bought. Things were going good for a while. I over heard about Mooch one day at the bar. I knew he was a pimp and Jim started using his girls, but I never knew that he was a bookie as well. I started to gamble on sports. I placed small bets at first. $25 here and $25 there. When I started to win, I began to get greedy and started betting more and more. About a year ago I got into a bad bit of trouble with Mooch."

I knew where this was going. I have heard this story many times before, but I had to ask. "How much did you lose to him?"

"I placed a bet for $25,000 and lost. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I didn't know what I should do. I had to take money out of the company so that Merissa would not find out about it. I was able to get some work done at the company so I was able to hide the amount. I thought I would be able to replace it, but I lost another $15,000 and wasn't able to make the first payment. Mooch is a business man and he is there to make money. I tried to come up with a payment schedule, but I was beginning to fall far behind. And with the interest he was charging me I began to panic. So I came up with an idea."

"This ought to be good." I sneered. "Making a deal with a bookie to get yourself out of debt is never a smart thing. You should have called the police."

"I couldn't. He said he would go after Merissa, and leave me with the guilt of what happened to her, as a reminder to not cross him. So I gave him a few storage units to use, no charge and completely anonymous. I figured people probably gave him things to pay off their debts and he would need a place to store them until he could sell them."

"So this is what you guys were fighting about?"

Anthony nodded. "Jim found out about the storage units about 2 weeks ago and told me to clean up my act. He offered to give me the money to pay off Mooch. I would never hurt Jim. You have to believe me."

"So why didn't you take the money from Jim?"

"He had conditions that I wasn't ready to give in to. I told him I would work it out on my own, but I needed more time to figure it out."

I began pacing in front of Anthony, trying to think this all through.

"Did you see Jim on Friday?"

"Yeah, we had a falling out at work and things got physical. He told me he was not giving me anymore time. He was going to tell my wife about everything; the gambling and the storage units. I got so mad at him I punched him in the face. He left work and I never heard from him again, but I had nothing to do with his death."

I stopped pacing and turned towards Anthony.

"That gives you motive to kill him right there. You killed him to keep your little secret so your wife wouldn't find out about what you've been doing over the last year."

Anthony got up off the ground and pointed his finger in my face. I brushed it aside.

"That's bullshit. I didn't hurt him. I have an alibi. I stayed at work all night after that trying to figure out how I was going to get out of this mess. Ask Janice, my secretary. She stayed in the office until 7:30 helping me going over the books and finding files for me. I ordered Pizza from DiMaggio's at 7:45 from the office. The pizza delivery man showed up around 8:10. I didn't get home until around 10 o'clock. When did I have time to kill Jim?"

I thought about it for a bit. If his time schedule was correct there was no way he could have been to Jim's house and back before Jim died. From my calculations, Jim died between 7:30-8 o'clock.

"I'm going to have to verify your story with Janice and the pizza place. If your lying to me, you will be going to jail for a long time."

I left Anthony in the parking lot and went back to my car. As I pulled my keys out of my pocket a piece of paper fell to the ground. I picked it up and opened it. It was Aerials phone number with a smiley face under it. I had a stupid grin on my face the whole drive back to my house.
Thursday Morning

The alarm startled me out of a deep sleep and I reached over to turn it off. The clock read 8:13am. I got up cursing this case. I was starting to get some solid information and it looks like Mooch had some explaining to do since he was the last one to see Jim alive. If he wasn't the killer then he might be able to shed some light on what happened after he left.

I got out of bed and took a quick shower, got dressed in my usual black slacks and white collared shirt. I slipped my gun in the shoulder holster and put my jacket on. It was a little early for calling on Mooch if I wanted any information out of him, so I decided to go to the office.

After grabbing something to eat along the way and getting the mail, I arrived at the office a little after 9:30am. I hung up my coat and sat at my desk. I had a few messages on the answering machine. I went through the mail first. Nothing of interest, more bills and a few catalogs. I hit the first message on the machine.

"Good morning Mr. Gavel, my name is Everitt Rowe. I am Sasha Onton's agent. I don't know if your familiar with Sasha Onton. She is an Olympiad from Russia that specializes in figure skating. She will be in the country during the second week of December and wishes to hire you out as a body guard. We have gotten recommendations from various celebrities and sports figures that have gone to Big City and used your services. Please get back to me at 765-555-2310 so that we may talk about the event and see if it's doable. I hope to hear from you soon."

I wrote down the info. I haven't done a body guarding gig in about two years. It was good money. I played the next message.

"Hey Tony, It's John Decker. I have some background checks I need you to do. Swing by the office after your vacation next week. It's not a rush job so enjoy yourself. I got the stuff you emailed me. Tom Raja was pleased with the fast service. I'll wire the money to your account by Monday. Thanks again."

I added that to my list and hit the next message.

"Um, it's me Kenny Fields, I will be coming in to talk to you Thursday around noonish. No hard feelings I hope. You said you can help me. I'll pay you for the information."

And then he hung up the phone. Damn right he was going to pay. I owe him for the stun gun and trashing my offices. Today was looking to be a good day. I will probably get my gun back. I got some future jobs lined up and I got some solid leads to work on with the Jim Cooper case. I figured it was time to call Merissa and fill her in on my progress so far.

Merissa answered the phone on the first ring.

"Hello Mr. Gavel, I was expecting your call."

"You were?"

"My husband came home drunk last night and I accused him of having an affair. He sat on the couch crying to me that wasn't the case and kept telling me over and over he loved me. He told me he talked to you last night so I thought you would be calling me. He really didn't say much else and he passed out on the couch. When I woke up this morning he was gone."

"I am surprised he told you about our meeting." I said to her. "I can tell you he is definitely not having an affair. I was calling to give you an update unless you want to meet in person."

"I was just getting ready to leave the house to do some errands, why don't you meet me at Coffee Hut in about half an hour."

I looked at the clock and figured I still had about 2 hours or so until Kenny came to the office.

"Sure, I can do that. I'll see you there."

"Good bye Mr. Gavel, I'll see you soon." Merissa hung up the phone.

I hung up the phone and grabbed my coat. It would take me about 20 minutes to get to the Coffee Hut.

I pulled into the Coffee Hut, looked through the parking lot and didn't see Merissa's car so I went inside and got a table next to the window. Ten minutes later Merissa walked in and I waved her over. The waitress came to take our orders after Merissa was seated.

"I found out some information that you probably won't like. You might know about it, I'm not sure."

Merissa looked at me confused. "What is it Mr. Gavel?"

"For starters, your husband owes a lot of money to a loan shark."

Her expression was shocked at first and then turned to worry.

"Let me start at the beginning. I talked to your husband last night at the bar. He is not cheating on you. He has a heavy gambling problem. It started a few years ago. Your husband would make small bets on sports games with the bookie Mooch. About a year ago he started betting big time. At first he lost $25 thousand and he panicked. That was about the time you had some remodeling done at Save Space Inc. But then he lost another $15 thousand. He has a serious problem. He wanted to hide it from you, to not worry you. He began missing payments to the bookie after awhile."

Merissa's face was reddening with anger.

"Why didn't he just go to the police?"

I shook my head.

"I asked him the same thing. Anthony told me Mooch threatened he would hurt you if he ever went to the police. Anthony decided to give Mooch a bunch of storage units to store some stuff while he still paid him off. Once Mooch got those units he began storing stolen goods and other types of illegal stuff inside. Jim found out about these units."

Merissa was beginning to understand what that meant. "Do you think that is why Jim was killed? Do you think my husband or this Mooch guy had something to do with it?"

"If I was a betting man, I would say yeah, that's why he was killed. As for who did it?" I shrugged.

Our waitress came with our coffees and I paid her.

"If the alibi that your husband told me is true, there is no way he could've killed him. He could've hired someone though. I haven't talked to Mooch yet. I plan to do that today. This was the reason your husband was fighting with Jim, and this is what he was going to tell you on Friday when you guys met. Did you know your husband was a gambler?"

Merissa shook her head.

"As far as I know, he never gambled while I have been with him. It goes to show you how much I really know about my husband."

I gulped down some coffee while she was talking.

"Oh my God. Does this mean I am in danger? What should I do?"

I put the coffee down.

"For starters you should remain calm. If I was you, I wouldn't do anything just yet. Let me find out what happened. If you run away or talk about this, Mooch may find out you know and if he is the killer."

I didn't say what I thought, but the threat was there and Merissa understood.

"Just go on like its business as usual. Watch your husband and make notes of anything strange or out of the ordinary, see if you can find anything in your home office about these units. He may have some papers or an inventory of what's in Mooch's units. Maybe you can find out which units he is using. Anything you could find out would be helpful. Just be careful. If you find out anything give me a call no matter what time it is. One more thing, on Friday when you were supposed to meet Jim, what time did Anthony come home that day?"

"Huh, what?" Merissa was having a hard time with all this information. "I would say around 10pm or so. In that area, why?"

"That's the time he told me he got home."

Merissa was visibly shaken by the news. I hoped she could hold it together at home around her husband until I could sort this all out. I left a tip on the table and we parted ways. I was going to have to talk to Anthony's secretary today and I had a question for him, but I figured It could wait until I went to his office.

I made it back to my office around 11:30 and I hung up my coat and slipped my gun in my drawer so it would be handy if I needed it. I didn't think I would, but the last time I saw Kenny he zapped me with a taser. I wasn't taking any chances this time.

It was shortly after 12 when my office door opened. It was Kenny. He was a tall guy with a slim athletic figure. He had on a black baseball cap covering his dark hair and was wearing a black coat zipped all the way up.

"Stop right there." I told him as I got out of my seat. "Put your hands where I can see them. You don't plan on zapping me again do you? Empty your pockets slowly."

Kenny sighed and turned his jacket pockets inside out. He than unzipped his jacket showing he had nothing hidden inside.

"I come in peace Mr. Gavel. I'm real sorry for what I did and I know I should have come to you first. I was desperate and wasn't sure if you would help me."

I walked over to him and patted him down. I was satisfied that he had no hidden weapons or stun gun to zap me with. I was standing toe to toe with him and looked him up and down. Kenny was just looking at me not saying anything more, waiting for me to respond. Which I did. I gave him a quick jab to the face with my left hand, as his head snapped back I swung up with my right hand connecting on his chin knocking his ass to the ground. I reached over my desk and grabbed my gun out of the drawer and put it to Kenny's head.

Kenny's blood drained from his face as his eyes widened in alarm, looking at the gun inches away from his head.

"Please don't kill me." Whimpered Kenny.

I stood there for a few moments letting the tension build. My voice strained to control itself when I spoke.

"Where is my gun?" I clicked the hammer back on the .38 and pressed it harder against Kenny's head.

Kenny spoke quickly as he was trying to move his head away from my gun. I kept applying pressure to his head moving with him.

"I took it so you wouldn't wake up and come chasing after me with it. I didn't expect you to come home that early on Sunday and you surprised me. As for where your gun is." Kenny shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. I took the bullets out and threw them in your bushes under the kitchen window as I walked out of the house. I dumped your gun in the trash compactor at work. I didn't want to walk around with it. Guns are dangerous. I doubt it's still there. The garbage man came on Tuesday morning and they came again this morning. It's probably somewhere in the dumps by now. Please don't kill me. That's the truth. I have no idea where it is."

"I should have you arrested for breaking and entering and burglary. Get out of my office and don't come back without my gun."

I pushed the hammer back in place and moved away from Kenny. I held the gun to my side and waited for him to get up.

Kenny scrambled to his feet.

"How do you expect me to find it? Its probably buried under trash by now."

"I don't care how you find it. Go dig around in the trash." I growled. "If I don't have my gun in 2 days, the police will be knocking on your door and arresting you. If you do bring it back, I may be nice and sell you the file I have on Donna Rockwell that has her current address and phone number and place of business. Now get out of here."

Kenny scampered to the door and when he opened it I kicked him in his ass knocking him out into the hallway.
Thursday Afternoon

I left the office and made my way to DiMaggio's Pizzeria. It wasn't to busy for a Thursday lunch crowd. The strong aroma of pizza and pepperoni filled my nostrils. It reminded me of the days when I was a kid on Saturdays when my dad would take us out for pizza. It was one of the things I looked forward to while growing up. Times were hard growing up in a strong Irish community. Not many people in my neighborhood had a lot of money. My dad worked two jobs trying to support my mom, my two sisters and me. We had a lot of thugs and bullies where I lived that would shake me down for my lunch money or just give me a beating because they could. Most of the dads worked, so just the moms would be home all day, cooking and cleaning and doing various chores around the house. They never really paid attention to what the kids were doing all day out in the streets.

Then Dwight moved into the house next door to me. He was a big kid back than. Not many people liked to mess with him. He saw me getting a beating one day by three bullies and jumped in to help me. I never saw anyone fight like he did. Most kids in our neighborhood used sticks or whatever they could get their hands on. They would throw wild punches or rocks. They always traveled in packs so that you had no real chance to defend yourself unless you were with other people. Dwight ran in and kicked the guy that was on me and then stood over me in a boxing stance protecting me. The other kids were laughing at Dwight, calling him all kind of names and telling him to get out of there before he got hurt, but Dwight stood his ground. The one kid that Dwight kicked, got up and charged Dwight. That was all it took. Dwight was a blur of motion. Throwing Jabs and uppercuts, using his big body to push kids aside if they came at him all at once.

I was mesmerized by his movements. I watched boxing with my dad and was used to seeing Ali and Frasier and some of the other all time greats in the day, Dwight could have been one of them as far as I was concerned. After a few minutes the three bullies were running away with broken noses and bloodied lips while Dwight didn't have a mark on him. He helped me to my feet. We became fast friends. Dwight went to a gym most days after school to train to be a boxer. That was one of his dreams in life. I started to go with him, at first watching him train, helping around the gym, stuff like that.

At the age of nine, I started my life in boxing. I trained hard every day with Dwight after school. I started to fill out and get muscles where I never had any before. Dwight and I were always together. No one ever messed with us much after that. A few times they would try when Dwight wasn't around and I still got some beatings, but I started to hurt them a lot more than I was getting hurt. By the time I was ten, people left me alone. Dwight and I were starting to get a reputation and no one wanted to mess with us.

My dad took an instant liking to Dwight and he became like a brother to me. He started coming to our Saturday pizza outings. It was the best time of my life. If it wasn't for Dwight, I would never have won the Golden Gloves championship when I was sixteen. He really turned my life around and helped me turn into the guy I was today.

"Hey buddy, you going to stand there all day or order something."

I shook my head and smiled. I must have been standing their reminiscing for a little longer than I thought.

"Sorry about that. I'll take two slices of pepperoni. Is the owner here? My name's Tony Gavel. I'm a private investigator."

The guy gave me a look over for a few seconds. Most people do when I say I'm a private investigator. They don't know why I'm around asking questions and people get nervous.

"Hey Antonio, there's a guy here to see you."

Antonio was a short stocky Italian. He had white hairy arms with a tattoo of his mother on his arm. He was well into his sixties and must have owned this place a long time. When he spoke he had a thick Italian accent.

"I'm Antonio, how may I help you?"

"Pleased to meet you Antonio, I'm Tony. Do you think I could have a second of your time and ask you one or two questions about something I am working on?"

Antonio nodded his head towards the back of the counter and I followed him over there.

"What's this got to do with my ristorante?' Antonio looked skeptical. "I run a clean place, why would you be looking into me?"

I shook my head. "No no, you got it wrong. No one asked me to look into you. The case I'm working on, someone said they ordered some pizza from here and had it delivered last Friday around 8:10pm. I was wondering if I could look at your receipts and verify that and maybe talk to your delivery boy to see if the man who told me this story was the one that actually took the pizza from him."

I took a fifty out of my pocket and handed it to Antonio.

"I know your time is valuable and I wish to reimburse you for it. I will do the same for your delivery boy."

Antonio looked down at the fifty and thought about it a few seconds.

"Are you sure that's it? No one is going to come and sue me for something when you're done?"

I shook my head again. "I promise. I'm just here to verify someone's alibi for the night."

Antonio slipped the fifty in his pocket. "Wait here." He walked into the back room.

"Hey Buddy." The guy at the counter was trying to get my attention. "Your pizza's ready. That'll be $4"

I walked over and handed him a five and told him to keep the change, but asked him to put it in a container to go. Antonio walked back in the room with a box in his hand and motioned to one of the tables in the back. I took my pizza and thanked the guy and sat down at the table with Antonio.

"These are all my receipts for Friday night's deliveries. I'll give you five minutes to look through them. We closed at 10pm and it was a pretty busy day. They are all in order of the time they were called in. The one you want will probably be towards the back. Good luck."

Antonio left the box on the table and walked back into the kitchen. I was on a short time frame so I opened the box and grab a few tickets from the back. It took me about three minutes to find the order I was looking for. Antonio came back out in five minutes.

"Did you find what you needed?"

I nodded. "Yes I did thank you. Do you mind if I keep this?" I held up the order ticket to show him.

"Keep it; I can print out another from the computer if I need it. These are what the delivery boys bring me back so I know what they did for the night. I still have all the originals. The delivery boy you want to talk to is David. He comes in tonight around 5pm. He heads out on the road at 6. I'll tell him you want to show him a picture to see if he delivered a pizza to him and that you will be here before he hits the road."

I thanked Antonio and handed him my card.

"If you ever need something, give me a call. Thanks, you've been a big help."

I shook Antonio's hand and left with my pizza.

I pulled into the Save Space Inc. parking lot just after 2pm. I had to take off my tie due to the grease from the pizza, but it was well worth it. There were a few cars in the parking lot. I went into the lobby and there were a few people sitting there waiting to get helped by the secretary. I took a seat and picked up a magazine waiting for a chance to talk to Janice. By the time I was finished with this long winded article about wind farms they are proposing off the coast of California, Janice called me up to the desk.

"Good afternoon Mr. Gavel. Anthony told me I should be expecting you. He didn't tell me why, but said you needed to talk to me about something."

I looked at her skeptically, I doubt Anthony hadn't told her why I was coming. He probably coached her on what to say. I'm hoping her body language will give her away if he did. You could tell when someone has been told what to say. It will sound rehearsed, her facial movements and other various forms of body language should tell me if she was lying. I figured my best bet would be to shock her, come at her in a different direction than what she is planning.

I gave her my best boyish grin.

"Hello Janice, as you know I am a private investigator working on something that involves your boss Anthony. Do you have any idea what it is?"

She shook her head. "I have no idea. I wasn't told anything about what you're working on."

"So you say. Well let me give you some details. Your other boss Jim Cooper was found dead on Sunday. Shot in the head in his home. Your boss, Anthony, may have killed him over something Jim found out about, here at Save Space Inc."

Her face turned to horror as I let the words sink in. I guess Anthony hadn't told her anything. This was a good start.

Her words come out a whisper. "Oh God, I didn't know about Jim. This is horrible."

"Yes it is horrible. Where were you last Friday night around 7pm?"

"Me? Um, I was here still working. Anthony was working late and needed some help pulling files. Why do you ask?"

"Anthony said you were here working with him until a certain time. I came to verify his story. What time did you leave? I notice you have a security camera in the corner. Any chance you can pull the tape to show me Friday nights events?"

Janice turned and looked at the security camera and sighed.

"That thing hasn't worked in years. I think it's there for show mostly so people will stay in line. When someone thinks they are being filmed they act more respectful usually. I can show you what time I left though. Come around the desk."

I walked around the desk and she was pulling up a time sheet for Friday night.

"All our hours are logged in this program. When we leave we swipe our card at the door." She pointed to a little digital reader next to the front door. "It will show when he swiped to leave and log our total hours of work for the day. If you look on the screen." She pulled up her time sheet. "It shows I came to work and swiped in at 8:35am. It has the time I left for lunch at 12:30 and than came back at 1:30. Than the last line." She pointed to it on the screen. "It shows I swiped out of here at 7:39pm. The last thing I did when I left was order a pizza from DiMaggio's."

She pulled up another screen that showed all incoming and outgoing phone calls and the duration of each call. There was a call placed to DiMaggio's Pizza at 7:34pm from Phone 1. There was another call at 8pm and another at 9pm from phone 2. I recognized both numbers. One was to Merissa's cell phone that lasted just under a minute and the other was to Mooch's number that lasted 3 minutes 18 seconds.

"Whose phone is #2?" I asked.

"That's Anthony's office. I have phone #1 and Jim's was phone #3. We have one other phone in the back where the storage units are, but that one is hardly ever used. As you can see, I called for pizza and then left for the night."

I stood there looking at the screen collecting my thoughts.

"Can you show me the time sheet again? Can you show me Anthony's and Jim's?"

She pulled up Anthony and Jim's time sheets side by side. It showed Jim came into work at 10:14am but never swiped back out. It showed Anthony's swipes at 7:35am and then he left at 9:27pm.

"How come Jim only had one time swipe?"

Janice stared at the time sheet for a bit then looked up at me.

"If I remember correctly, Jim came into work mid morning. Around 11:45 or so he went into Anthony's office and I heard them arguing about something and then some things falling to the ground. I heard Jim curse out Anthony and then he stormed out of the office holding his nose. It sounded like they had a fight about something, but I couldn't hear what it was. I asked him if he was ok and if he needed anything and he just walked out of the building. He never swiped his card when he left."

"I'm confused about something. They own the place why do the even use the time cards?"

"I asked the same thing once. I know they get checks from here. They pay themselves as employees. They still get all the money that comes into the place, but they take a check for tax purposes I guess. At least that's what I got out of the conversation when I asked them. This way they can keep their personal money separate from the business money."

She shrugged. "Who knows? I never asked again. It confused me, but it's their business not mine."

"Do you think I could have a print out of the call log for Friday and the time sheets for Friday?"

"I really don't have authorization to give you that stuff Mr. Gavel. I figured I could show you, but as for printing that out. You would have to ask Anthony or get a court order. I'm sorry."

I nodded. "That's ok. No harm in asking. Thank you Janice. You've been a big help. I just need to go ask Anthony something and I will be out of your hair."

Janice pressed a button on her headset. "Mr. Talbert, Mr. Gavel is here and is asking to see you." She tilted her head as if she was listening to something than nodded to me. "Go on in."

I thanked her again and made my way into Anthony's office. I plopped down in the chair across from Anthony. He didn't look to good. His eyes were blood shot and his hair was unkempt. His clothes were wrinkled. It looked like the same clothes he wore last night at the bar. It wouldn't surprise me since Merissa said he slept on the couch and he was gone in the morning when she got up. Anthony was busy looking over files he had spread across his desk and he was double checking things on the computer monitor in front of him. He looked at me when I sat down.

"What is it Mr. Gavel." He said dejectedly. "I thought I told you everything last night. What do you want from me now?"

I gave him a big grin. "You look like shit Anthony. Rough night?" I chuckled at my own joke. I liked to amuse myself from time to time.

"I came to verify your story and so far it checks out. I just need to talk to the delivery boy later on and that will clear you of the murder, but you could still be an accomplice for all I know."

Anthony got red in the face. A vein begun to pulse on the side of his neck.

"I told you. I had nothing to do with Jim's death. Now if you don't mind. I'm trying to work here. If you have nothing else to ask me, get out."

I held my hands up in mock surrender.

"Ok. Ok. I did have a question for you. As long as your story checks out later, I am going to have to do a little more digging. Where do Mooch's girls hang out? Where is Mooch's base of operations and how often does he come to his storage units?"

"I have no idea when he comes here. He has a key to get to the units like everyone else. I'm sure if you get a court order I could dig up the times his personal badge accessed the lot to get to his unit. I'm not crossing Mooch. If you want to talk to him go right ahead. Leave me out of it. I know his girls hang out in the docks district after 6pm or so. The docks never sleep and have people working there 24/7. I guess the dock workers are good for business. As for where Mooch hangs out. I have no idea. Maybe one of his girls could tell you. That's all I know honest. Jim tried to get me to go with him a few times, but I never went. There is a bar down there called The Watering Hole. That's a good place to start."

I got up out of the chair and started to walk out of the office. I turned and spoke to Anthony.

"Thanks Anthony. Stay in touch. Don't leave town until this is cleared up."

"Fuck you Mr. Gavel. I hope I never have to see you again. Now don't come back. Next time I'm getting my Lawyer. I swear it."

I was laughing as I walked out of the office. I gave a wave to Janice and went back out to my car. Now it was time to hunt down Mooch. I will finally get some answers and hopefully solve this thing. Just as I opened my car door the last thing I remember was something hard smashing into the back of my head.
Thursday Evening

My head was throbbing and I felt nauseous. I tried to get up and noticed that I was tied to a wooden chair with my hands behind my back. I had a blindfold on and had no idea where I was. My coat was off and I felt my shoulder holster, with my gun, was not on me as well.

"Just great." I muttered to myself.

"Oh good your awake." Someone said behind me. I heard a chair scrape along the ground as if someone was getting up and then heard footsteps thumping along a wooden floor. I counted 18 footsteps until they stopped behind me.

"Whose there?" I said, knowing the person wasn't going to answer me. It's not like they ever say. Hey it's me, the bad guy John. Let me tell you my evil plot. That crap only happens in the movies. In real life, in situations like these, people usually die.

A fist slammed into my stomach and the pain shot through my body. When you can't see it coming, getting punched really hurts. You can't prepare yourself for it.

"Shut up, I'll do the talking and you'll do the answering. If not, then I have no use for you and I'll kill you. Do you understand?"

I nodded my head and managed to squeak out a "yes." My stomach hurt like hell and I was trying to catch my breath.

"Good. As long as we understand each other. I've been watching you Mr. Gavel. You've been very busy nosing around where you shouldn't. I think we both know what I'm talking about don't we?"

The bad thing about working alone was that I had no hope of someone coming to rescue me. No one had any idea where I was. I just prayed I would be able to figure out a way to escape before this guy decided to kill me. I tried to flex my wrists and arms to see how well the knots were on my rope. They wouldn't budge.

Pain shot through my head as his fist hit me in the face.

"Stop moving around and answer the question."

I could feel my eye swelling up already from where he hit me. I was used to getting beatings, but being this helpless was always a bit scary. The only good thing was the fool forgot to tie my feet up tightly and I was able to move them. I could probably slip them out of the rope if I got a chance, but I would still be tied to the chair with my arms behind me.

"If you're talking about Donna Rockwell then I know what you're talking about. I have her file in my car."

His fist hit me in the face again, this time squarely in the jaw. I could taste the blood in my mouth. I felt a gun pressed to my head and I heard the click of the hammer being pulled back.

"I'm done playing games Mr. Gavel. If you want to die like this, it's fine with me."

I jerked my head back away from the gun.

"Ok. Ok. You're talking about Jim Cooper's death."

I heard the click again and the gun was moved away from me. I could see the person's feet in front of me through the bottom of the blind fold. The person was wearing a pair of work boots. Now that I was awake and my head was a bit cleared I could make out the smell of salt water in the air. I assumed I was somewhere in the docks district. This had to be one of Mooch's thugs.

"Very good Mr. Gavel. Why are you digging around into a suicide? Who hired you?"

I spit the blood out of my mouth and had the satisfaction of seeing it land on the thug's boot.

"You know as well as I do that Jim Cooper didn't kill himself. My guess is your boss Mooch had him killed for finding out about his stolen goods in the storage units."

I figured I had nothing to lose by telling this guy what I knew. He was probably going to kill me anyway. If I could keep him talking I had a slim chance of escaping.

"The way I figure it. Anthony owes Mooch a lot of money and while he is paying him back he gave Mooch a few storage units to use. Mooch is hiding all his stolen goods in there and Jim found out. Either Mooch or someone he hired, maybe you for all I know, killed Jim Cooper to shut him up and keep Mooch's secret safe. How does that sound? Am I close?"

The thug didn't appreciate my sense of humor and he hit me in the face again, right on the nose. If he kept this up my funeral would have to be a closed casket.

"What has that fool, Anthony Talbert, told you so far?"

"He told me he didn't kill Jim and he has no idea who did. He thinks it was a suicide."

I could hear the thug pacing just beyond my sight.

"What else has he told you? How did you find out about the units? Did he tell you about those?"

I shook my head trying to see what was around me on the floor from the bottom of the blindfold. I couldn't see anything in front of me. I tried to tilt my head up a little to see what else I could see while I talked.

"I am an investigator; I investigated and found things out. Mooch isn't the brightest in his dealings. Everyone knows he is a loan shark and a pimp. Anthony didn't have to tell me about the units. I found out at Jim's house on his computer."

The thug stopped and must have turned towards me and hit me in the back of the head with the butt of the gun. Not to hard to knock me out, but enough to see stars in my blindfold.

"You're lying. There was nothing on the computer."

Then it hit me. This was Bob Caster. How else would he know what was on the computer. He was the one that stole it from Jim's house. If I let on that I knew it was him than he would shoot me on the spot. I had to stall a little while longer, hoping something would happen. Just than Bob's phone rang. He walked away from me and I heard him talk into the phone.

"He knows about Mooch and the storage units."

Bob paced around while he was talking.

"He said Anthony didn't tell him anything, he said he found out from Jim's computer."

Bob stopped and was listening to whoever was talking on the other end of the phone. This didn't sound good. I started to work my feet out of the rope. I was able to get my right foot out and than it was simple enough to slip my left one out as well.

"Yeah, he thinks Mooch killed Jim to keep him quiet about the units."

Bob started walking towards me. He stopped right behind me. I tensed up getting ready if things were going to go bad.

"Ok. But now we are even. Don't call me anymore after this. I will take care of it." I heard Bob close his phone.

"Goodbye Mr. Gavel. My employer thinks you know to much and feels it would be in their best interest if"

I took that point to lean forward as hard and fast as I could, flinging the chair behind me as I got up, hitting Bob and knocking him to the ground. I could hear the gun slide across the floor and Bob curse. He wasn't expecting that at all. I turned as fast as I could looking out the slit of the blindfold. I could see Bob on the floor a few feet away from me. I quickly lunged forward and kicked him in the head as hard as I could with my right foot. I got him right in the throat and he began coughing and gasping for breath. I turned around and fell backwards with all my weight and the weight of the chair right onto Bob. I heard a sickening thud and Bob stopped moving and making any sounds. I guess the back of the chair must have hit him in the head and knocked him out. I figured I only had a few minutes before he regained consciousness and killed me. I rolled over and got back to my feet and worked my way back to where I assumed Bob was sitting. I found a table and chair there and looked for the corner of the wall. I found a pillar in the room and started smashing the chair into it as hard as I could. After what seemed an eternity the chair broke and the ropes came loose. I quickly got myself untangled and pulled off the blindfold.

I was in a decent sized warehouse that was empty at the moment. There was a flight of stairs that ascended to a closed door which I assumed was an office. There were table and chairs near me and a vending machine along the wall. My coat and gun holster were on the table, but my gun was missing. I scanned the floor, saw it and picked it up. I turned to where Bob was on the floor. He had a big gash on the side of his head and blood was coming out of it. The top of the chair must have hit him at an angle to cut him deep. I had to do something if I didn't want Bob to die here. I ripped Bobs shirt and held it against the gash trying to stop the blood as I grabbed Bob's phone out of his pocket and called Dwight.

"Dwight O'Toole. Who's calling?"

"Hey Dwight it's me Tony. I need an ambulance quick. I'm somewhere in the Docks District. I'll explain later. There's someone bleeding out right now in front of me. I have a rag applied to the wound to stop the bleeding. I'll leave the phone on so you can track it to my location. Hurry."

I put the phone on the ground so I could use both hands to stop the bleeding. I needed Bob to stay alive. He had answers to everything that's happened so far. After a few minutes I heard sirens in the distance getting closer.

"Hang in there Bob." I said as I kept pressure on the wound. I did slip my gun in my pants pocket so it wouldn't be lying on the floor, but I was going to have to explain myself to Dwight when he got here. He won't accept anything else. Too much stuff has been happening around me lately to have it brushed off again. I was trying to think of a good story, which was not a lie, when Dwight walked in. He was still dressed in his suit and tie for work and had his badge clipped to his belt. He gave the warehouse a quick look, taking in the scene while he came over to me.

"What have you gotten yourself into now Tony?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He bent down and checked out Bob as the EMT's came through the door with a stretcher. They hurried over and took it from there. Dwight and I moved back out of the way. They bandaged Bob up and put him on the stretcher. They told us they were taking him to Big City General. Dwight told them a policeman would be meeting them to watch over his room. They left with Bob tied down in the stretcher and an oxygen mask over his face. Once the room was empty Dwight turned to me.

"Ok Tony, no lies, what's going on?"

I went over to the table and slipped on my shoulder holster; put my gun away, while trying to think of something that would satisfy Dwight. I couldn't think of anything.

"That was Bob Caster."

I started and Dwight gave me such a angry look. If I hadn't known Dwight all my life, I would have been worried.

"What the hell Tony. That's the guy whose license plate you had me run? What are you messed up in? I told you to fill me in on anything if it was important. Is he the guy that shot your car up?"

I gave a sigh and sat down at the table. Dwight looked around the room some more and went and picked up Bob's phone and closed it and put it in his pocket. Dammit. I wanted that phone to see who he was talking to.

"Yeah he shot my car." I didn't know what else to say.

"So you knew that he was the one that took the shot at your car and you waited on it all this time? I'm disappointed in you Tony. You should have told me and we could have picked him up."

The vein in my neck started pulsing as the heat rushed to my face.

"And do what? Arrest him for a bullshit charge that you and I both know would get knocked down and he would walk free. He had a clean record. No one would convict him."

Dwight started to pace in front of me. He always did that when he was angry and trying to think things through.

"Has this got to do with the Jim Cooper case?"

"Yes." I said quietly. I didn't want to lose this case to the police. I was so close to solving it. I just needed to put the pieces together and I was sure I would be able to solve it. Whoever was on the other side of that phone call was responsible for Jim Coopers death.

"Listen Dwight. Just give me two more days. I am close to solving this. I know that's asking a lot, but how long have we known each other."

Dwight stopped pacing and turned to look at me.

"So you have proof that Jim Cooper was murdered?"

I nodded my head. "I do know he was murdered. As for solid evidence, I don't have any yet. I have a bunch of pieces to the puzzle. I have a feeling I know why he got killed. I just don't know by whom yet. This little incident tonight proved I'm on the right track."

"And what did happen tonight? By the looks of things, you almost got yourself killed."

"I was talking to Anthony Talbert at Save Space Inc. Running down his alibi for the night Jim Cooper was killed. I left his office and the next thing I know, I woke up here tied to the chair. Bob was questioning me about the murder to see what I knew and got a phone call. Whoever called Bob probably is your killer."

Dwight opened up Bob's phone and looked at the last call. It said unavailable. He hit the call button and waited. After a few moments someone answered the phone.

"Who is this?" Dwight stood there listening to the phone and cursed, he closed the phone.

"Whoever answered had one of those voice changer gadgets and hung up. I'll take this back to the lab and see what they can come up with. I'm going to put a guard at Bob's door in the hospital. I want a statement from you about the shooting and anything that will link Bob to that so we have something to work with when we question him about this whole thing. I will give you two days to figure this out. By Sunday I want all your notes on this whole matter on my desk by noon. I'm not kidding Tony. I will arrest you for obstruction if you don't have it to me on time."

"I have the bullet that Bob shot my car with in my office. It's in the top right hand drawer." I gave him the keys to my office. "Just leave them in the office and I will pick them up tomorrow. I'm sure with the bullet and my statement; you could get a search warrant for his house to find the gun. Plus with him kidnapping me tonight, you should have enough to work with. I owe you Dwight. I will give you everything Sunday if I don't have this solved by than. I promise. And you know my word is good."

Dwight took my keys and put them in his pocket and nodded. "It always has been. Don't make me regret this Tony. Noon time Sunday is your deadline and then we are taking this case over."
Thursday Night

That whole ordeal lasted almost two and a half hours and it was close to 6:30 by the time Dwight and I left the warehouse. He drove me to my car that was still at Save Space Inc. I decided to make my way to the Watering Hole and see if I could get lucky in finding some of Mooch's girls or maybe Mooch himself. I was in a foul mood and my head hurt like hell. It was going to be a long night and I wasn't looking forward to it, but now that I was on a deadline I had to start making things happen.

At least I knew I was in the right direction with everything that happened to me today. I still wonder if Anthony Talbert had anything to do with this. He knew I was in his office that whole time and could have called someone to ambush me when I left. He wasn't happy with me. I pulled into the parking lot of the Watering Hole a little after 7pm. It wasn't crowded.

I walked into the bar and gave a look around to see what was happening. The rocker look alike, Doug, was behind the bar and gave me a nod. The parking lot was deceiving. There were quite a few people inside. Most of them looked like dock workers.

"Shit." I saw Kenny sitting at one of the tables with three of his co-workers. Now that I think of it, Doug told me last time I was here that Kenny comes in on Thursdays until about 9 o'clock. He was probably here since 5pm. I didn't need any more trouble tonight. My head was already killing me and I wasn't in the mood for a fight against these odds.

He didn't see me yet so I walked over to the bar.

"Hey Doug, remember me?"

Doug gave me a smile. "Sure, your that guy that works for the law firm. Kenny is over in the corner."

"Yeah, I saw him. Give me a round of what they're drinking and I will bring it over to them." I put a fifty on the bar and took the 4 pitchers of beer that Doug poured and walked over to Kenny's table. When I put the pitchers down, Kenny looked up and his face turned white when he noticed who it was.

"Hey Kenny." I nodded to the others at the table. "I got you guys a round." I said as I gave them all a reassuring smile.

I didn't recognize any of the people sitting at the table, and they all looked at me for a moment and then at the beer I bought them and shrugged. One of the guys said. "Who's your friend Kenny?"

Before Kenny could speak I took out one of my cards and put it on the table for them to see. "I work for the law firm Decker and Sons. My name's Tony Gavel. I've been helping Kenny with something personal. If you don't mind, could I borrow him for a second?"

They took a look at my card and than looked over at Kenny. He was still a bit nervous with me standing there, the last time he saw me I had my gun to his head.

"I just need five minutes of your time Kenny and then you can go back and join your friends. I promise."

"Go ahead Kenny, we will watch your beer for you. Don't take to long though or it may be gone."

They all laughed and began talking amongst themselves again ignoring us. Kenny got up and followed me to an empty table just out of earshot of his friends.

"Listen Kenny, I'm not here to cause any trouble. I didn't even realize you would be here, but now that you are maybe you can help me out. First things first though, did you find my gun?"

Kenny didn't know what to make of my calm demeanor. He fidgeted in his seat and kept clasping his hands in front of him. I could see beads of sweat on his forehead.

"I didn't even have time to look yet. I came to see you during my lunch break and we came here right after work. I'm going to look tomorrow. I took off and I plan on finding that gun. I don't want to do any jail time. I really am sorry for what I did. I'll make it up to you. I swear Mr. Gavel."

I nodded. "Just find my gun and we're good. Do you or any of the guys you work with, know Mooch or use any of his services? I need to find some of his girls and ask them some questions."

Kenny gave me a quizzical look. "You are looking for a good time? Everyone knows Mooch around here."

I frowned. "No Kenny, it's not like that. It's for a case I'm working on. Point me in the right direction and maybe I will give you that file on Donna that you want. Where can I find his girls or Mooch himself?"

Kenny looked relieved when I told him about the file and now he seemed eager to please me.

"A bunch of the guys use Mooch. His girls are all over the docks. Usually they start showing up on Thursday nights when we all get paid and they hang around all weekend. They are never around Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday though. You can spot them a mile away. Mooch's girls all wear blue silk scarves around their neck. That's how you can tell they are his girls. You can find other hookers down near the docks, but Mooch has high class girls. Mooch is very accommodating to his clients."

Now I know why Crystal was wearing that scarf that looked out of place. It was a marker to identify her. I looked Kenny over.

"You seem to know a lot about his girls. Do you use them?"

Kenny shook his head strongly. "Not me. I love my wife and would never cheat on her. A lot of the guys use them though. I see them all the time."

"Ok, what about Mooch? Do you ever see him? Where does he hang out? Is he ever with the girls?"

Kenny thought about it for a few moments before he answered.

"I've seen him on two occasions. Both times he was wearing a silk blue suit. He is around your height, maybe thinner than you, short almost buzzed dark hair. He had a guy the size of a gorilla with him both times. This guy just looks mean and nasty. I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley if you know what I mean. The first time I saw Mooch, the gorilla was beating down one of the dock workers for something he did to one of the girls. Mooch is very protective of his girls and has no qualms enforcing his rules and beating someone to serve as a reminder to all. The second time Mooch came to collect some money another guy owed him. It went peaceful, but everyone watching thought it was going to erupt in violence."

I thought about this and something didn't add up with what was going on in my case. If Mooch had a mountain of a man to do his dirty work, why would he send Bob Caster after me? I'm sure when people owe a lot of money they would do things to save their own asses to get out of a jam. It did make sense in a way I guess. This way it would not point to Mooch. He always had an alibi if something went wrong. Mooch was starting to look like one smooth criminal. No wonder he's never gotten arrested. I need to find out more about the gorilla and I need to find Mooch and talk to him. I guess I'll have to start with his girls and work from there.

"Ok, thanks Kenny, if you get me my gun I will give you that file. If you see Mooch or anyone you work with sees him give me a call. I'll give $100 to whoever does. I need to talk to him and I doubt he would meet me if I called him."

Plus I didn't want to call him and tip him off, if he did kill Jim Cooper. I would rather surprise him and corner him. I would have to deal with that gorilla though.

"Hey Kenny, do you still have that stun gun?"

Kenny gave a sheepish grin. "Yeah, I still have it. It's in my car in the glove compartment why?"

"I'll tell you what. I will trade you Donna's file for the stun gun. An even trade. I still want you to find my gun though or I'm telling the police everything you did. Deal?"

"Sure." We went out to the car and Kenny grabbed the stun gun and handed it to me as I handed him my file on Donna.

"How does this thing work anyway?"

I held the gun to Kenny and pushed the button zapping him, knocking him to the ground.

"Forget it, I figured it out."

A few minutes later I was sitting in my car with the stun gun in hand looking at a map of the area. Looking at where Kenny showed me Mooch's girls hung out. The spot wasn't far from where I was now. The Watering Hole was closer to the shipping yards and main port of the docks. The girls were a few blocks west from where Big City Seafood was located, near mile long pier road. I decided to go scope out the area to see what I could find.

The docks district was tricky to navigate if you didn't know your way around here. A lot of the roads here ended up in dead ends. Mile long pier road, cleverly named due to the pier being a mile long, was where Big City Seafood could be found. On the other side of the pier was a nice seafood restaurant The Fishermens Wharf. It was a favorite for people that loved seafood. Everything was fresh from the daily catches that were brought in from the commercial fishermen. It was a little pricey for me, but I've been there on a few occasions. On the corner of Fishermens Wharf road was a small motel called the Wayside Inn. I've never been there, but I assumed it was busy at all times due to fishermen spending the night before heading back out to sea or probably Mooch's girls using someplace close to their base of operations. At the end of the road, towards the water, was a fair ground. It was a decent size where they would throw an annual summer fair called Festival by the Sea. It drew a lot of people each year. The rest of the year it acted as a local park.

The rest of the docks district was filled with warehouses of all sizes. East of mile long pier road was the shipping yards and main port, where we got a ton of imports from overseas. The waterway was a major source of income for Big City. Being a port city brought us in a lot of money and we dealt with a lot of importing and exporting. You could make a good living here if you didn't mind hard work. Further east of the shipping yards was the private sector docking area. That's where you could see all the yachts and other pleasure boats that well to do people owned.

A few years back I had a big case down in the port. Wealthy parents of a young girl hired me to find her when she went missing. It wound up being a child smuggling ring that were shipping these kids overseas into slavery for major money. I cracked the case wide open with Dwight's help. He got a promotion and I got a handshake from the police commissioner. He was still pissed at me for quitting the force, but he did offer me my old job back. Because of that case though I get a lot more leeway from the police with some of the things I do. They even bring me in at times as a consultant, when it comes to missing persons. I was one of the best on the force when it came to finding them. It is my area of expertise.

The shipping yards and Big City Seafood were both open twenty four hours a day. The sea never slept and you could find people here at any hour, working, sleeping, and partying. A lot of tourists can be found along the Fishermens Wharf side of the pier during the weekends. Either partying at the Fishermens Wharf or hanging out at the park. I could see why Mooch would pick this place to be his base of operations. A ton of people at any given time came through this area. The police hardly came down here unless they were called in and it was away from the public eye so as not to cause any disturbances.

I decided to park my car at the park and walk the area. The smell of the sea air assaulted my senses as I got out of my car. I love the water; it always reminds me of the cabin on the lake I own upstate in Red Valley Falls. The night air was cool this late in the season near the water. I buttoned up my jacket all the way and grabbed a knit hat out of my trunk. I slipped my gloves on and checked that my gun was loose in the holster in case I needed it. I took a GPS tracker out of my trunk in case I might need it if Mooch was here. I could bug his car and follow him at my leisure. A lot of good the one on Bob Casters car did me. My head still hurt from getting hit from behind. I made the walk down Fishermens Wharf road and passed the Wayside Inn. The parking lot was full, but the sign showed vacancy.

I went inside the Inn. The lobby was warm and cozy. A few vending machines were their and a big ice machine in the corner with buckets next to it. There was a dark colored couch along the wall. The walls were painted bluish green to make it look like the sea. A bored elderly lady was sitting behind a window, in the corner of the room. She looked up when the bell rang as I entered.

"Hello young man. Would you care for a room tonight?" she said with a pleasant smile.

You couldn't help, but smile when you looked at her. She was like a loving grandmother with reading glasses on the tip of her nose and a head full of white hair.

"Yes thank you." I said as I pulled my credit card out of my wallet.

"Would you like the room for a few hours or the whole night?"

I handed her my credit card. "The whole night please."

She did the transaction and handed me the credit slip to sign. The room was $79.99 for the night. I signed it and gave it back to her as she slipped me my credit card and a key with the number 43 on it.

"Room forty three is around back on the water side, second floor. You can grab ice here in the lobby all night if you need to. Check out is at 9am. I could give you a wake up call an hour before hand if you wish."

I put my card back in my wallet and slipped the key in my pants pocket. "That won't be necessary, but thank you. Have a good night Ma'am."

She waved to me as I walked back out into the cold. I went up to the room and checked it out. It was a spacious room as motels go. It had a king size bed in the center of the room with a tv in the corner and two end tables on either side of the bed. Along the wall on the water side was a big window overlooking the pier and water. I could see the other side of the pier from here and could make out people walking and talking. There was a little refrigerator in the corner of the room next to the entertainment center. There was a bathroom as well.

I went back to my car and parked it in the motels parking lot and grabbed my suitcase of spy gadgets. The room I had was a good place where I could set up shop and watch what was going on across the waterway. I unlocked the case and took out my binoculars with the built in camera and looked out my window. I saw two women sitting on some crates talking to some dock workers. Each one had on a Blue silk scarf. I hit the jackpot. I took out the parabolic listening device and aimed it at the group of people. I could hear them just as I was standing next to them. I hooked up the device to a recorder and hit the record button and listened in while I watched them through the binoculars.

The first girl was a petite Asian girl. She had silky jet black hair and a slim figure. She looked to be in her early twenties. She was laughing at something and had her hand on one of the dock workers arms. She had almond shaped eyes with a hint of gold coloring.

The dock worker was speaking to the Asian.

"Come on Suki, we had fun the last time we partied. Why won't you give me a break tonight? You know I'm good for it."

The other girl was a bit taller with long curly red hair going down her back. She had curves in all the right places. I took a few pictures of the girls and the dock workers to have in case I needed them later.

The red haired girl spoke with an Irish accent.

"You know we can't give out freebies. Mooch doesn't approve and we would have to answer to him. No cash, no party."

The dock worker walked away with his hands in his pockets and his head slumped. Feeling rejected. His buddy followed him and left the girls to themselves.

Suki lit up a cigarette.

"Slow night Misty. Mooch isn't going to be happy with us."

Misty just shrugged.

"Not much we can do about it."

I sat there and watched for a while. Nothing much was happening. After about an hour a third girl showed up and joined the other two. I found out her name was Nikki. She was another dark haired beauty. I had to give it to Mooch. He sure knows how to pick beautiful girls.

"What's up with Crystal tonight?" Nikki asked the other two. "She hasn't been herself lately. Been on the bitchy side all night. Anyone else notice that?"

Suki leaned in towards Nikki. "Maybe Mooch wasn't paying enough attention to her tonight. You know how much she craves his attention. He was busy with one of the new girls, before we all headed out and didn't talk to her much."

Nikki nodded. "That could be it, but it seemed like she was distracted today more than usual. She's been complaining a lot over the last week. I asked her about it yesterday and she just told me to mind my own business. Mooch needs to do something about her."

I knew Crystal. That was the girl Mooch sent me when I called his number. Maybe she knows something about what was happening and was having a hard time about it. If I found out my boss was a killer, I would be a bit distracted as well. I decided to go talk to the girls and see if I could find out anything. I put away my gear and slipped it under the bed. I slipped on my jacket and walked around the waterway to where the girls were standing.

As I began to walk towards them, they all turned and looked me over. I kept myself in good shape with various boxing and swimming exercises. Standing in at 6'2" I was an impressive sight. They smiled at me as I got closer and I gave them my best boyish grin.

"Hello Ladies. Care for some company tonight?"

All three ladies smiled at me and Suki spoke up.

"Sure thing handsome. What are you in the mood for? We all have some spare time right now."

Misty walked around me and traced her hand on my shoulder and arms like she was sizing up a side of beef. She gave me a wink as she pinched my butt. Nikki was smiling at me and looking me over. I felt very uncomfortable standing in front of these ladies. The things I do for my clients.

Nikki seemed to be the one that was the talker of the group from the little I heard so I was hoping I could find out some things from her. I gave Nikki a smile, reached out and took her hand in mine, brining it to my lips. Suki and Misty frowned at the attention I was giving Nikki and they backed away a little. I guess they didn't fight over customers. Mooch ran a tight organization and I guess he didn't want a bad reputation about his women squabbling over things and fighting amongst each other in front of clients.

"It would be my honor if you could spend some quality time with me this evening miss?"

Nikki gave a little giggle at my attempt at chivalry.

"Nikki, just plain Nikki. It would be my pleasure."

I smiled at the other ladies and took Nikki's arm in mine and began the walk to the Wayside Inn. Nikki was looking at me as we walked.

"I haven't seen you around these parts Mr.?"

"My friends call me Tony. I've lived here all my life; I'm just new to the 'night' life so to speak if you catch my drift. A friend of mine told me about it and said I should try it."

Nikki smiled at my comment.

"I understand completely Tony. A good looking guy like you, I'm surprised you don't have a date for the night already. You're not a cop are you? This isn't some kind of police sting where you think your going to arrest me is it?"

"No I'm not a cop. Just a guy looking for some companionship."

"I'm glad to hear that Tony." Nikki said with a smile. "There are rules I need to tell you. You pay for my companionship up front. It will be $50 an hour and whatever happens during that time between two consenting adults will happen. No rough stuff and if I say no to something, that's the final word on that matter."

I nodded as she gave me the rules. I just wanted information from her tonight so it wasn't going to be a big deal for me. I just hoped she would be in the mood to cooperate.

"I understand. I have a room in the Inn. I can pay you when we get inside if that's ok with you."

We got up to my room and I let her in. She told me she needed to use the bathroom and to leave the money on the end table. I put a hundred dollar bill on the table and reached into my bag under the bed and took out my voice recorder, turned in on and put it in the drawer next to my gun. I also grabbed one of my small GPS trackers hoping to maybe slip it in her purse later on so that I might be able to follow her right to Mooch.

I took off my jacket and sat on the bed waiting for Nikki to come out of the bathroom. After about 5 minutes she came out wearing a blue silk slip and nothing else. She was a beautiful woman. She saw the money on the table and gave me a smile as she sat down on the bed.

"So Tony, what are you in the mood for?"

I leaned in close and pulled the slip up over her head. Nikki ran her tongue slowly over her lips as she gave me a suggestive wink.

"Right to the action huh Tony. I like a man that takes charge."

I gave her a smile and told her to lie on her stomach. She had a beautiful body. I began to massage her shoulders and she let out a soft purr. I figured if I made her feel at ease she might be more talkative. I worked her shoulders for a bit and then moved my hands down to her shoulder blades. Her muscles were tight and I could tell she was tense.

"Relax Nikki. Let me relieve you of some of this tension you've built up."

She chuckled. "I can think of other ways to relieve some tension."

I ignored her and began working on her back. I dated a masseuse at one time in my life and she used to tell me I had good hands for that sort of work. I was trying to remember everything she taught me so Nikki would relax.

"I noticed all of you ladies wearing blue silk scarves. Does that mean something special?"

She had a knot right in the middle of her back and I began to work it out with my thumb digging it in to release the tension in the muscles. I could tell it was beginning to work.

"You ARE new to the night life. It just shows people we are Mooch's girls."

"What's a Mooch?" I asked her.

She laughed at my attempted humor.

"Mooch is our boss."

I worked my hands down to her lower back now and I took extra care. Rubbing her and working the muscles, sometimes with a light touch, other times a bit harder getting into the muscles of her lower back.

"Mooch tags you like cattle? I don't understand."

Nikki let out another soft moan as I slid my hands down the curve of her butt cheek and worked my way down her leg.

"It's not like that at all. Mooch takes very good care of his girls and has a reputation to his customers. He uses the blue scarves so that people would know we are one of his girls and they can expect the best. He feeds us and gives us money for clothes and other things. Some of us live in Mooch's house. It's a very profitable business arrangement for everyone."

I thought about it for a few minutes as I began to work on her feet. Nikki was very talkative and I would have to handle the next few questions with care.

"Have you ever seen Mooch rough anyone up? He's not going to be looking for me is he, if I do something wrong?"

I paid extra attention to her feet while I asked my question. If you've ever gotten a foot massage you know how good it feels.

"Nah, Mooch doesn't need to get physical. That's why he pays Michael. The way you're going you have nothing to worry about Tony. I've never seen anything, but I've heard stories from the other girls. Michael is a sick son of a bitch and has no problems dealing out pain to people. I think he enjoys it. We have ways to protect ourselves as well. I know a few of the girls that have done things to people who've crossed one of the other girls or Mooch. Some of us are just as protective of Mooch as he is of us."

My hands slipped a little as she said that. I wasn't expecting that and it never even crossed my mind. Could one of Mooch's girls killed Jim Cooper? Doesn't seem likely. He wasn't poisoned or anything and Jim kept himself in good shape. I couldn't picture one of the girls overpowering him. I began working on her other foot as I was thinking on what Nikki said. I guess one of the girls could have brought someone with them when they talked to Jim. If they had some help it would make more sense. Maybe Bob Caster wasn't working for Mooch after all, maybe he was working for one of the girls. I would have to check on Bob in the morning, maybe he will be awake and cold answer some questions.

"I need to use the rest room. Stay right here and I'll finish up your massage in a minute."

She gave me a smile as I walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Nikki's clothes were folded and sitting on top of the hamper with her purse. I locked the door and opened her purse to see what I could find out. She didn't have much in there. A wallet, some makeup. Something that looked like a small pager but it had a button on top of it. Not sure what it was, but I didn't want to fool around with it. A nail file and other various woman products. I took out the nail file and made a tiny slit on the inside of her purse and slipped the tracking device into it. I opened her wallet and checked out her driver's license. I memorized her real name and address. Who knows if I'll need it, but I could do some surveillance. Maybe I'll get lucky and she'll lead me to Mooch. I put everything back where it was, flushed the toilet and then washed my hands quickly.

I went into the bedroom and Nikki was lying on her back waiting for me with a roguish grin on her face. I was having a hard time concentrating on why I was here tonight. I was on a deadline and needed information, but Nikki looked so good lying there waiting for me. I leaned down and began to kiss Nikki's neck at first. Kissing down her body to her toes. Than I began massaging her feet again. Nikki sighed, but I could tell she was enjoying herself.

"It's your time Tony. I hope you're enjoying it." She said with a chuckle.

"I just hope you won't come after me if I don't make you happy."

I said to her, hoping she would continue where she left off.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm not one of those girls. Some of them can be real vicious though. You're lucky you didn't pick Suki."

"Oh? Why is that?" I asked as I worked my way up her legs and began massaging her thighs. I made sure I paid special care all around. Massaging the inner thighs as well as the outside. Teasing Nikki, hoping she would continue talking.

"Between you and me. Suki once videotaped a session with a married man that tried to screw Mooch over a gambling debt. She threatened to release the tape to his wife and family, also his boss of his very public job that he was in. Not only did she make back the money he owed Mooch. She made a good deal of extra cash. She did give the tape to him afterward, but it goes to show you how some of the girls won't hesitate to protect Mooch."

I tried to give a nervous chuckle. "Anyone else I should be worried about then? I wouldn't want to have to be looking over my shoulder while having a good time out."

Before she could answer I bent down and gave her a kiss. Soft at first, teasing her lips, making her want it. I was trying to distract her. If I could get a list of names then maybe I could do some digging tomorrow and see what comes up. My list of suspects was small at the moment and my best bet was still Mooch, but with what I was learning from Nikki, it could be anyone that works for him.

I pulled away from her and began massaging her stomach and breasts. By the sounds she was making, I could tell she was enjoying it very much.

"Did you know Jim Cooper? He was the one that told me where I could go for some fun."

Nikki had her eyes closed and was purring softly like a cat.

"I know Jim. I was able to have some fun times with him at the house. He's a kinky guy. Very paranoid though. Video cameras all over the place."

"Are we talking about the same Jim? Jim the storage guy? I never knew he's that paranoid."

"All of the girls know that about Jim. But he pays very well and never treats us badly. It's a shame that he's in love with his partner's wife though. No one has seen him for awhile. I know he is into the more exotic of Mooch's girls; like Suki, Naomi and Crystal. Maybe they saw him recently, but I haven't. When you see him tell him to give me a call. I'm ready for another night with him."

I was finished with the massage and got up off the bed. Nikki opened up her eyes and looked at me.

"Is that it? You ready for a good time now Tony?"

"That's it for me Nikki. I didn't realize the time. I have a very early day tomorrow and need to get some sleep, but would love to call on you tomorrow and finish what we started if that is ok with you."

She looked saddened when I was done talking, but took it in stride. "Are you sure you don't want me to help you fall asleep with a smile on your face." She said with a wicked grin.

I helped her off the bed and gave her a hug. "I'm sure tomorrow we'll both be smiling. Thank you though Nikki. I had a good time."

She walked into the bathroom and gave her ass a little more wiggle when she went past me. I slipped an extra fifty dollars on the end table. When she came out of the bathroom she was fully dressed and took the money off the end table and slipped it in her purse. She leaned in and gave me a kiss.

"The pleasure was mine Tony. Feel free to call me anytime." She gave me a card that had Mooch's number. "This is Mooch's number. When you're ready for me, just give it a call and request me. I'll see you tomorrow."

I held the door open for her and closed it when she left. I locked the door and took out my voice recorder and hit play. Our voices came in loud and clear. Happy that I got the whole thing on tape, I went to bed.
Early Friday Morning

The phone woke me out of a sound sleep. I looked around the room confused for a moment, not sure where I was. I remembered I was at the motel. The clock said 4:13am. I grabbed my phone and answered it half asleep.

"Hello."

"Hey it's Dwight. I got some bad news for you. Bob Caster was found dead a few hours ago."

I sat up in the bed and tried rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. Bob was my one big lead to solving this case and now he's dead. Someone was covering their tracks.

"What happened? How did he die? He wasn't in there that long. How could this happen? Was there a guard at the door?"

"We had someone posted at his door, but he didn't see anything. As far as the doctors can tell, he died from natural causes. I reviewed the security footage for the last hour and a half and the only people that entered his room were nurses. I am trying to track them all down to find out if they saw anything in the room out of the ordinary. We can't track down two of the nurses, but the others that we talked to said that his vitals were doing fine. He wasn't awake yet from the knock to the head. Maybe he had complications from his head injury. They won't know until the autopsy."

"The guard was there all night? It can't be a coincidence that he died tonight. Someone wanted him dead to keep his mouth shut. Any luck with the person that called his cell phone? Were you able to trace it?"

I got out of bed and began getting dressed. The clock was ticking and as far as I was concerned there were now two murders instead of one.

"I talked to the guard myself. He went away a few times to go to the bathroom, but other than that he was there the whole night. On the security tape during the times he was missing a nurse did enter his room. That's one of the nurses we can't find. Her face was looking away from the cameras. It's like she knew what she was doing. The whole thing smells fishy to me, but until we get a positive cause of death we are stuck. As for that phone number. The boys were able to determine the number belongs to a prepaid phone. No luck there."

"Can you send me a screen shot of that nurse? Maybe I can dig up something on my end to help out. I planned on visiting Bob this morning but I guess that's out of the question now."

I could hear Dwight telling someone in the room to send the picture to me.

"Ok the picture is sent to your email. How are you coming along on your investigation? If Bob was killed because of Jim Cooper then we are looking at a double homicide. I will still give you until Sunday, but we will be working the Bob case if we find out later today that he was indeed murdered."

I finished getting dressed and grabbed all my things and put them in Rust Bucket. I got in the car, but had no idea where I was going to go.

"All the evidence I have so far is pointing to one person but he has the resources to hire someone to take care of things for him if need be. I am working on a few more leads that I got last night, but I won't really know more until later this afternoon. I do have things in motion and I am hoping I'll get lucky. If I find out anything I'll let you know."

As I was talking to Dwight my phone beeped letting me know I had gotten a new email. I checked it out and it was the screen shot of the nurse.

"I just got the email now. Thanks Dwight. I'll call you later if I come up with something. Let me know what happens at the autopsy."

"You got it Tony."

Dwight hung up the phone. I just sat in my car looking at the picture of the nurse. She wasn't that tall and the picture wasn't high quality. I could tell she was not Caucasian, but she was not dark skinned. She had short brown hair underneath her nurse's cap. She was very slender, but something looked out of place in the picture. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

I opened up my phone and pulled up the GPS locater on Bob's car. It was still at the warehouse. The police haven't gotten around to towing it yet. That was a good thing. I drove to the warehouse to see what I could learn from his car. Maybe something will come up.

I got to the warehouse and there was some police tape blocking the door. I drove around back and found Bob's car parked near the loading docks to the warehouse. It was still early and the nearby warehouses looked empty. This area of the docks might just be used for storage.

I slipped on my gloves, sat in the car and closed the door. I started with his glove compartment. I opened it up, took everything out and put it on the passenger seat. There was an owner's manual and some insurance papers in a small plastic case that I put back into the glove compartment. A bunch of pens and pencils, some gum, a stack of business cards that showed Bob was an Antique Dealer for Odds and Ends; a small company downtown that catered to antiques and other rare items of interest. I took one of the cards and slipped it in my coat pocket and continued my search. There were a stack of papers folded up; looking through them I saw a bunch of leads on some items for his work and other antiques that I guess he planned to acquire for his shop. Under the papers was a small notebook.

It was a little black leather note book with a rubber band wrapped around it. I took off the rubber band. It had loose papers on the inside of it that fell out when I opened it up. Inside the notebook were a whole bunch of dates, numbers and notes. I gathered it all up and put it in my pocket to look at when I got back to the office. It looked promising and may help me out in my investigation if I am lucky.

There was nothing else of value inside the car so I popped the trunk to take a look. Bob's trunk was nice and neat. He had a toolbox inside it and a spare tire and jack. There was a box of books about antiques as well. Other than that it was empty. I closed everything up and left it as it was and went back to the office. I had a lot of work to do and hopefully I'd find out some answers as to what's been going on and why two people were murdered.

The street around my office was bustling with activity. I could see lights flashing about a block away and the road was closed off with a police barricade. I could see flames in the distance. There were news vans and reporters gathered around in front of the barricade and off to the side, running stories and asking the officers questions. I got out of my car and went to the barricade.

The two policemen were busy with the reporters and civilians, making sure no one crossed the barricade. I could see the fire trucks parked in front of my building and the air was filled with smoke and ash. The fire was centralized on the third floor it looked like from here. I could see flames coming out of my office window.

"You got to be kidding me." I got close to the officer. "What's happening over there? Do you know what office is on fire? My office is in that building."

The officer looked at me with a bored face.

"Step back sir. We have no information at this time. Stand clear for your own safety."

Just than my phone rang, it was Dwight.

"Hey Tony, I just got a call over the radio. Your office is on fire."

"I'm standing here now. The officer won't tell me anything. I can see the flames. What the hell. This can't be a coincidence and you know it."

I was pacing back and forth in front of the barricade and a few reporters were looking at me as I was yelling in my phone. I ignored them and walked away from the barricade, back towards my car.

"I must've hit a nerve with my investigation for someone to go through all this trouble to burn down my office. I'm going to nail this person Dwight."

"Go to your house and stay there Tony. That's an order. I'll be by shortly. Don't do anything stupid. I'll find out what's going on and come by afterward. Promise me Tony."

"Yeah Yeah. I'll wait for you."

"I'm warning you Tony. Stay at your house, and be careful. If someone did kill Bob and torched your office, they may be going to your house next."

"Shit, I didn't think of that."

I hung up the phone and jumped in my car and made it back to my house in record time. There were no suspicious cars in the neighborhood and my house wasn't in flames, which was a good thing. I parked my car in the driveway and went inside the house. After checking out all the rooms, I was safe for the moment. No one has been to the house and I had no surprises waiting for me.

I opened my blinds and sat in the kitchen, which gave me a good view of the front of my house. I could see my driveway and street. If anyone was to come by my house I would be able to spot them. I put my gun on the table in front of me and the notebook I took out of Bob's car. I placed the loose papers on the table and decided to go through the book first. It was written in neat hand writing and each page had 3 columns of numbers. A date, a dollar amount, and another dollar amount in either red or green. I figured if this was a gambling book and it had to do with Mooch than it made sense. The first number was the date of the bet. The second number was the amount that Bob bet, and the third number was how much Bob won or lost or could have been how much he was paid or had to pay. Each page was a week long and at the bottom of the page there was a number in red or green. Depending on what he owed at the end of the week or what was coming to him. It was a fairly easy system to figure out and Bob kept good records of what he did.

The first bunch of pages, the bets were small and it looked like Bob was doing ok. He didn't lose much and when he did lose, it looked as if he was able to pay off. But just like all gamblers, the bets started to get larger and larger. As the weeks turned into months it looked like Bob was into Mooch for a lot of money. I found a page with a note on it instead of numbers. It had an address on it and a time. At the bottom of the page was a dollar amount circled and the name of some item. I assumed Mooch made Bob do something for him and this was how much he was going to get knocked off his debt. Adding up the numbers to this point, Bob owed Mooch over $19,000. Maybe the item was what Bob had to go get? I wasn't sure, but it seemed reasonable. He was using Bob to collect his debts. The next few pages were the same kind of notes, but the item and dollar amount and address were different. I went into my office and did a search on some of the items that were listed in the book. A few of them were very old items valued at a lot of money. Now it made sense. Bob was into antiques. Mooch would send Bob to see if the item was the real thing. If it was than Bob would probably collect it for him. Mooch was using Bob as an appraiser for people that paid their debts with items instead of cash.

As I got further into the book Bob began owing a lot more money and the jobs he would have to do became more frequent. I also noticed that instead of just dollar amounts there was a letter next to the amount. Those dollar amounts next to the letters usually ran from $50-$500 dollars. I was guessing thats when he started using Mooch's girls. I had to give it to Bob. For a degenerate he was a meticulous book keeper. Tallying up the number of times he used Mooch's girls I could tell that C and S were his favorites. Crystal and Suki?

I skimmed through the book more and some of the jobs he was to perform were different than the previous ones. There was a job on one of the pages that had a persons name and address with the words rough up on the page. A phone number was on the bottom of the page. Another one said laptop with the same number, and another had the word scare next to it with the phone number again. It wasn't Mooch's number. Could he have been doing jobs for someone else? I wrote down the number. I found Jim Coopers address towards the end of the book that said laptop on it. Now I know that the person that hired Bob was not Mooch, but someone else. Unless it was a different number for Mooch. I would have to trace down the phone number. I looked through the loose pages that were in the book and finally found something that I could use. It was an address and a time to meet Mooch. I googled the address and it was close to the docks district. It was in a small neighborhood. I ran a search through one of the public databases on the address to see who would come up as owning it. It would take awhile, but if I was lucky it would lead me to Mooch. I also did a search on the phone number, but it came back as nothing.

While I was waiting, I wrote down a bunch of the names and addresses of some of the people Bob went to scare or rough up. I was going to have to do a lot of interviewing today to find out what was going on. If I could find out who was behind this then I would have my killer. I would just have to find the evidence to prove it in court. I was beginning to feel good about the case and felt that it was coming to a head. Whoever it was that killed Jim and Bob, also torched my office. They are dangerous and I would have to watch my back.

After about an hour a car pulled into my driveway. It was Dwight. I could see him getting out of his car and looking up and down the street before heading to my front door. I opened the door for him. Dwight didn't waste anytime.

"I want answers and I want them now."

I sighed as I walked into the living room after locking the door behind us. Dwight took a seat on the couch and I sat across from him on my chair.

"Spill it Tony. Two people are dead and a building is burned down. At least no one was hurt in the office building that we know of so far." Dwight was red in the face as he spoke. I could tell he was pissed.

"I was hired by Merissa Talbert to find Jim Cooper. They were having an affair and he never made their meeting they were supposed to have Friday night. She got worried that something happened to him and wanted me to find him. As you know I found his body in the house Sunday afternoon. What you don't know is I found three letters next to his body."

I got up and went into my office, got the letters and handed them to Dwight. Dwight looked them over and had a scowl on his face.

"Why did you take these?"

"I took them because I needed to show them to my client. Something felt wrong about them at the time. When I showed them to Merissa she assured me that she didn't write them. She hired me to find his killer, thinking the police would rule it a suicide and close the case."

Dwight nodded as he read all three letters.

"And we did rule it a suicide, but I assume you know otherwise. That's why all this is happening right now."

"Listen Dwight. I promise I'll tell you everything. Just let me finish up today and see what I can find out and I'll tell you everything I have on Jim Cooper. I do believe he was murdered and I have a strong case to show it. I just need to find the physical evidence. I got some really good leads last night and I need just a little more time to check them out."

Dwight thought about it for a little while and sighed.

"If I get any flak over this from the brass Tony, your going to be in a world of shit."

I gave him my most reassuring smile.

"I promise Dwight. I'll call you tonight with what I have and we can figure it out from there. So what can you tell me about the fire?"

Dwight took out his little note pad he kept in his jacket and opened it up and was reading something before he spoke.

"Someone threw a Molotov cocktail through your door. We got pieces of the bottle but I doubt we will get anything off of it. With all those papers you got in your office, the room went up pretty quick. It spread to the two adjoining offices. The fire department got it under control from that point. There was some structural damage, but in could have been much worse."

Dwight got up and headed for the door. He stopped and turned.

"Just be careful Tony. I'll talk to you tonight."

As Dwight left I locked the door behind him and grabbed the notebook and then went into my office. I began going through the different notes on the odd jobs that Bob did for Mooch. I wrote down a few jobs with the address and item that was on the paper next to the other jobs I wrote down. I began mapping out the places to find out my best route so I wouldn't spend all day driving around Big City. I wrote down six jobs in all. Three from who I assume to be Mooch and three from the other person. With any luck, after my interviews today, I would have some answers as to who the mystery person was. I looked up the value of the items on the notes and wrote them down as well so I could ask about them when I got to the houses.

As I was doing my research, the request came back from my search for whoever owned the home in the notepad. The house belonged to a Reggie Lucio. I wrote the name down with the address and phone number and ran his name through the usual databases I use to do background checks on people. Could this be Mooch? While I was waiting for any information to get back to me I pulled up my GPS program and checked out where Nikki went during the night after she left me. Looking through the history, she stayed at the docks most of the night. Currently she was at a house close to the one that Reggie Lucio owned. She did stop at Reggie's home before she went to her own. I pulled up Google earth and checked out her address and the one that Reggie owned. They were back to back homes. According to the map, there was no divider between the properties and they shared a backyard. Looking at the map, it showed the neighborhood was well wooded and after a few keystrokes it was about a forty minute drive from my home.

It was getting close to eight o'clock. I grabbed some breakfast so I could start my day early. It was Friday morning so I was hoping I would have some luck at the houses I wrote down. If not I would have to go back later in the day.

I took a quick shower and got dressed, grabbed my coat and gun. I slipped my baton into the special pocket of my jacket. I grabbed my notes and a picture of Bob Caster and headed out.

The first house on my list was not to far away from my home. I pulled up to it close to 9am. There was a car in the driveway so I might get lucky. According to my notes, this guy had an antique cuckoo clock written in Bob's notes. The house was a small two bedroom home with a small yard. The lawn needed to be mowed and the house could use a new coat of paint. The car was an old Chevy pickup in fairly decent condition. I loosened my gun in the holster and knocked on the door.

The door opened and an elderly man stood in the doorway. He looked to be in his late fifties maybe early sixties. He was balding and had on a pair of reading glasses.

"Yes, may I help you?"

I gave him a smile and handed him my card.

"I hope so. My name is Tony Gavel. I'm a private investigator."

As I was talking I could hear a voice from inside yell.

"Who's that honey?"

The man turned to look inside the house.

"A private investigator."

"Well what does he want?"

"I don't know I haven't asked him yet."

"Well ask him"

"I will."

He turned back to me and gave me a grin.

"Always nagging me. How can I help you today?"

"I heard that." Came from the voice inside.

I gave him a grin back as I answered.

"Your home came up during an investigation I am doing. Actually an item inside your home. A cuckoo clock. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"A cuckoo clock?" The man looked puzzled. "Sure come on in."

He walked into the house and I closed the door behind me as I followed him into the living room. He sat down at a table and I took the seat next to him. Once inside, the woman I heard talking came into the room and gave me a smile.

"Would you like some coffee or tea mister?"

"Gavel. Tony Gavel. No thank you. I just had breakfast."

She put a mug of coffee down in front of the old man and sat down at the table with us. They looked like a nice couple. I didn't see why they would be using someone like Mooch. Looking around the room, they had a bunch of pictures in frames along the walls. It was various pictures of them in younger years and in a few was a younger male. Probably their son would be my guess.

The old man took a sip of his coffee before speaking.

"Forgive my manners. My name is Sam and this is my wife Michelle. Now what about the cuckoo clock? That was stolen months ago. Have you found it?"

I shook my head.

"Not that I know of, but I did want to ask a few questions about it. During the course of my current case your clock has come up and I wanted to know a little about it, if that's ok."

Sam frowned, but nodded his head.

"I don't know what information I could give about it, but I'll try and help out anyway I can."

"Thank you." I said. "Does either of you know of a man named Reggie Lucio, or heard the name Mooch?"

They both looked at each other confused and shrugged their shoulders.

"The names don't ring a bell. Should we know them?"

I took out the picture of Bob Caster and showed it to them.

"What about this man? Have any of you seen him?"

Michelle looked at the picture, but had a blank look to her face. Sam looked like him might know something.

"He does look familiar. Isn't that the guy from the antique store?"

I nodded.

"Have you seen him recently?"

Sam shook his head.

"Nah. I saw him a few years back when I had trouble with the clock. So I went to his shop to see if he might be able to fix it. He was a nice man and gave me the name of a place. That was the only time I've ever seen him. Who are these people?"

"This may seem like a strange question, but do you or your wife ever gamble?"

Sam shook his head as did Michelle.

"Never bothered with it. It seems like a waste to gamble my hard earned money away. Times are tough raising a kid in Big City and all my money went to putting clothes on our backs, food on our plates and paying for the house. Why do you ask and what does this have to do about our clock?"

I followed up with one more question.

"What about your son. Does he gamble?"

"Jason is big into sports and I know he bets with his friends if that's what you mean. Tell me what this is about please."

"Mooch is a bookie. He also does other various things, but I think in this case he was acting as a bookie. Bob Caster owed Mooch a lot of money and I found a notebook with all of Bob's bets and how much he won and lost etc... I found your name and address with the word cuckoo clock in Bobs ledger. My guess was that Bob stole your clock for some reason. Maybe your son owed Mooch money and gave him that clock as payment. Bob could have appraised it and put a value to it for Mooch. Is your son around?"

"Our son went back to college last month. He's a good kid and I doubt he got mixed up in that type of thing."

I frowned.

"When did the clock go missing?"

Sam thought about it a bit before answering.

"Now that I think of it. It disappeared right before Jason went back to school. He called the police and filed a report. That was the only thing missing when our house was robbed."

I wrote down some notes in my pad.

"Well thank you for your time. I know it is a touchy subject, but next time you talk to your son maybe you can ask him if he knows Mooch. You have my card and can call me anytime if you find something out. I may know where your clock is and may be able to get it back for you unless it was already sold."

I got up and shook their hands and headed towards the door. Sam and Michelle followed me out.

"I'll do that Mr. Gavel. I really don't think Jason had anything to do with this, but we'll ask him to be sure. I hope we were able to help and that you can find that clock. It was handed down from generation to generation and has been in our family for almost 80 years."

I gave them a smile as I got into my car.

"I'll give you a call if I find out anything. Thanks again for your time."
Friday Morning

The next stop on my list was not to far away from Sam's house. It was a decent sized ranch with a well maintained landscape. There was a Toyota Celica in the driveway in good condition. By the looks from the outside, the person living here was doing well for themselves. I pulled up to the curb and looked at my list. This persons address had a gold pocket watch listed on it.

I knocked on the door and after a few minutes a woman answered the door. I gave her a smile and handed her my card.

"Good morning, my name is Tony Gavel. I'm a private investigator working on a case and your address came up during my investigation. Something from your address specifically. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

She was a pretty woman. She wasn't to tall, I would guess about five foot three and she kept herself in decent shape. She had on a pair of sweatpants and a matching sweatshirt. Her brown her was shoulder length and had a slight curl to it. She looked at my card and then at me. She had a confused look on her face.

"I don't know what could possible have come up in something you are working on Mr. Gavel."

I didn't feel like wasting any time. I had a long day ahead of me and time was running out. I figured I would get straight to the point and see what happens. I knew it was her watch.

"I know you had a gold pocket watch at one time. My guess is you owed Mooch a gambling debt and you either gave it to him or it went missing from your home. I want to know what happened. Did someone come and take it from you? Were you threatened in anyway?"

The look on her face told me I was right. She looked back into the house for a second and than turned back to me.

"Sorry I can't help you."

She closed the door.

"That went well Tony." I muttered to myself as I went back to my car.

It took me almost forty five minutes to get to the next house. The name on the list was John and he was one of the people that said 'rough up'. Hopefully I would get lucky and find out something about the mystery person that hired Bob to do stuff.

The house was a small one. It looked beat up on the outside and the landscaping or lack off made the house that much uglier. There was a rusted junker in the driveway. This person was in bad shape by the look of things. I knocked on the door.

A small man answered the door. He came up to my shoulders and he had on big thick wire glasses. He was a scrawny thing.

"Yes?"

I felt bad for this guy just looking at him. I handed him my card.

"Are you john?"

He looked at my card for a moment and nodded when I spoke.

"I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions. Your name came up during an investigation and I could use your help."

John frowned and I could see that he was getting uncomfortable.

"I really do need your help. Someone was killed and I think you could help me. You might be able to shed some light on some things. It will only take five minutes of your time."

John began to fidget and a frown formed on his lips.

"A murder? I have no information about a murder. How could I possibly help you?"

I sighed.

"You know the man that was murdered. Bob Caster. I really do need to talk to you. Could we step inside?"

When I mentioned Bob Caster, John's face recoiled in horror, but stepped aside so I could enter the house. He looked visibly shaken.

I made my way inside before he could change his mind, went into his living room and took a seat on the couch. I waited for him to close the door and make his way to me. I took out my notepad as he sat down next to me on the couch.

"What can you tell me about Bob Caster? I know he paid you a visit a while back. Tell me about it."

John took a deep breath before he began.

"It was about two months ago when I was woken up in the middle of the night. Bob slapped me across the face with one hand, while he had a gun in his other hand pointed at my head. I had no idea who it was and I thought I was getting robbed. I begged him not to kill me and told him where my money was and anything of value I had that he could take. He just kept slapping me around, telling me to shut up. I was so scared. I thought I was going to die."

I figured it would be best to not interrupt him and let him tell his story.

"He told me that I should learn to keep my mouth shut about other people's affairs. I was so scared and had no idea what he was talking about and told him that. He said I knew what he meant and if I knew what was good for me I would just shut my mouth. I begged and pleaded for my life, I really thought I was going to die. Then he said to me that I didn't see anything two weeks ago if I knew what was good for me. He slapped me a few more times and said he better not have to come back and then he left."

I wrote down a few notes while listening to him. When he was done I asked.

"What did you see?"

John looked scared and I could tell he was debating on telling me anymore. He sighed and began again.

"About two weeks before that, lets just say I was out looking for a good time down near the docks district."

I gave him a reassuring smile.

"You were looking to get a hooker. I know all about them down there."

John gave a sheepish smile.

"Something likes that yeah. Anyway, I was down at the docks and I found a lady to spend the night with. We went to a place not to far from the docks when I saw three men. One of them was on the ground getting badly beaten by a huge man. The last man was standing to the side yelling at the guy on the ground. I couldn't really tell you what they were saying. I was horrified. I never saw such violence before. I'm a simple man. I work all night as a taxi driver and sleep most days. Just then the guy that was standing to the side looked right at me. He gave me a smile and a wave to the girl I was with and then went back to yelling at the man. Later on in the room with the girl, I found out who the man was. It was the ladies boss. She told me just to forget about it and she did a good job helping me forget."

I was writing down what he said and stopped.

"Was it Mooch?"

John nodded.

"Yeah that's his name. She called him Mooch. The next night while I was working, one of my fares wanted me to drop him off at the docks where the girls hang out. I told the guy to be careful and told him what I saw the night before. I told him he should be careful around those people. Over the next week I had a few calls over to that area and I would warn each person that I thought was going there for the girls to be careful and I would retell my story. I'm guessing someone said something to one of the girls and it got back to Mooch."

"Could you tell me which girl you went with the night you saw all this happen?"

"It was a beautiful Asian girl. I think her name was Suki."

I wrote it all down as he spoke.

"Did you ever see Bob again? The guy that came to your house?"

John shook his head.

"Nope. Just that one time. I was thinking about that for a while after it happened and I always wondered why Mooch would send Bob instead of that huge guy he was with that night."

I put down my pen and looked at John.

"That huge guys name is Michael. Your lucky he didn't come to your house. You would probably be dead. I think one of the girls sent Bob to scare you. I know Bob did jobs for Mooch, but I am finding out he did jobs for one of the girls or maybe a few of them. I don't know which ones yet, but that's what I am trying to find out."

"One of the girls?" John said confused. "Why would they send people to do things? They are just hookers. What do they care?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I've been finding out that some of the girls are very protective of Mooch. It's hard to believe, but they seem to be one big happy family and they look after each other. You'd think they would be happy if Mooch went to jail so they could try and make a normal life for themselves. Thanks for your time John. You've been very helpful."

We both got up off the couch and john walked to the front door and opened it for me.

"I hope you find out what you need. I'm glad I could be of help. I stay away from them ever since that day. I don't need any trouble in my life."

I shook his hand as I left.

"That's good John. Thanks again for your help."

I went over my notes in the car for a few minutes reading what John told me. I looked at the next name on the list. It said Sal W. He had an antique oil painting that was valued at over $8,000 dollars. My guess would be that it went missing. I made my way to his house. It was in a nice neighborhood. Each house on the block was a two story home, with well maintained landscaping. It was in the middle to upper income range in Big City. Most of these people probably spend more money in a week than I made in a year. I pulled up to the address on the list.

A woman answered the door after a few minutes. She was in her mid-fifties and wearing a maids outfit.

"Good morning. I'm looking for Sal W. My name is Tony Gavel. I'm a private investigator and would like to ask him a few questions if he is around."

I handed her my card.

"Please hold on while I see if he is available."

She closed the door and I waited to see what would happen. I didn't really need to talk to his person, just wanted to confirm what I already knew. The people on the list owed Mooch a gambling debt and he would have someone go acquire the item to wipe out the debt after Bob verified the item. It was the other people on the list that I was interested in. The ones that I knew Mooch didn't send. After a few minutes a young man opened the door. He couldn't be more than thirty tops. He had a buzz cut and was dressed in some black dress pants and a white shirt with black tie. He was carrying a briefcase and a set of keys for his car.

"What's this about Mr. Gavel? I'm about to head to work and can give you a few minutes."

He closed the door and began to walk to his car. I knew I didn't have much time, but it didn't matter.

"I'm here to ask about a painting you had or may still have. An antique oil painting. I assume you had a debt with the bookie Mooch and used the painting to pay him off. I'm working on a case that has Mooch right in the middle of it somehow. Someone was murdered and Mooch either did it or had someone do it. Have you seen this man before?"

I showed him the picture of Bob Caster.

Sal looked at the picture for a few moments and nodded.

"That's Bob. He was the one that came and appraised my painting for me and took it away to cancel my debt."

"I thought as much. Have you ever seen him again?"

Sal shook his head.

"Nope. Just that one time. I stopped using Mooch after that debt was cleared. His interest was to steep for me. Is there anything else you need? I really need to get to work. I have a big meeting today with clients and have to get to the office."

"That's all I needed to know. I was just checking on things I already knew to verify the facts. Thanks."

As Sal got into his car he opened the window and popped his head out.

"I hope that bastard Mooch is guilty and you prove it. He is a sick man. Some of my friends haven't been as lucky as I have and that thug Michael paid them a visit. He broke one of my friend's fingers one by one, over 100 dollars. He's ruthless. I hope you nail him."

With that Sal pulled out of the driveway and left. I wasn't able to ask him some follow up questions, but I got the gist of it. The more I learn about Mooch the more I want him to be guilty so Dwight can lock him up and we could get him off the streets. People like Mooch fed off the weak and helpless. They do not belong in our society. I'm sure Big City would not miss one more scumbag off the streets.

Arthur Middleton was next on my list. He lived in a run down part of town and Bob paid him a visit to 'find out information' the ledger said. He lives close to the train yards. 'The Yard' as people call them, used to be a vital part of Big Cities income. They had freighters coming in and out of Big City on a daily basis. After Big City built up its port area the trains became a secondary source of income and not as important to the people in power. The Train Yards were in shambles and you could find broken down trains and sections of track all over the place. Big City still ships out things through the trains, but not as frequently. Night time was a busy time in the yard, Hoodlums and gangs of every type used them for various reasons. Police never go to the yard unless they are called there. The people that live close by have problems of their own. A lot of gang activity and fighting takes place. Many homes get broken into. Not a wise choice to live at, but it's times are rough and sometimes people don't have a choice where they live.

Arthur was sitting outside on a rocker smoking a cheap cigar when I pulled up. He gave me a friendly wave as I got out of my car.

"Hello friend. What brings you out to the yard?"

I couldn't help but smile. Arthur was an old man. I'd guess his age was in the seventies. He had a cane next to his rocking chair. He was balding in spots and had a certain charm to him.

I sat down next to him and handed him one of my cards.

"I am working on a case and your name came up during the investigation. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions."

I handed him the picture of Bob Caster and continued talking.

"I am trying to find out who this man is working for. I found a ledger in his car and your name and address showed up. He was sent to you to gather some information about something. I wonder if you could tell me what that was and anything you might have seen."

Arthur took a good look at the picture.

"I seem to remember meeting him. My memory is a little fuzzy though at times."

I saw Arthur stick his hand out, knowing that he was looking for some compensation for his troubles. I slipped him a fifty and smiled. I liked this guy.

"I'm sure we could come to some kind of agreement to help jog your memory."

Arthur smiled and put the fifty in his shirt pocket.

"I remember this guy. He came to me about a month ago. If I remember correctly it was in the middle of September. He was asking me about something that happened on September 6th. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about."

I laughed.

"For someone with a fuzzy memory, you sure are good with dates. So what did happen on September 6th?"

"What I'm about to tell you could make my world a lot more difficult. I'm an old man and everyone leaves me alone. The scum here know I am good at keeping my mouth shut. If I go blabbing about everything I see then people might decide I'm more trouble to have around if you catch my meaning."

I pulled out another fifty and slipped it into his shirt pocket.

"I'll keep this strictly off the record. I'm just trying to gather the information to help me solve a murder that I know Bob Caster was involved in somehow. I promise your name won't come up in any records."

Arthur nodded his head and smiled.

"I think that will work. As long as you keep me out of it I can let you in on a little secret that I might know about. It was getting close to six o'clock and I was about to head outside for my nightly cigar. I know its a bad habit to have, but I've been doing it for forty years and it hasn't killed me yet. Anyway I was walking past my window when I saw a patrol car sitting near the derelict train over there."

Arthur pointed to a derelict train sitting about sixty yards away.

"About a minute later another car pulled up next to it. Both men got out of their cars and shook hands, than the man handed the cop a bag. The cop looked inside it and then stuck his hand in it. I assume it was money and he was counting it. Once he was satisfied they said a few words to each other and got back in their cars and began to pull away. I walked outside so I could get a better look at who they were. The one car was a late model sedan. Not sure of the make, but it was a metallic blue color. There was a Latino looking man driving and a beautiful ebony skinned girl sitting in the passenger seat. She looked right at me when the car pulled past my house. I would never forget her face. She had long jet black hair and had a noble look to her. She watched me as they drove by. The police car went in the opposite direction so I didn't get a good look at him, but I do remember the car he drove. It was a normal patrol car and it had the numbers six-oh-seven on the back of it."

I wrote it all down and was shocked at what he saw and is still alive to talk about it.

"Are you sure about this? Are you sure it was a payoff?"

Arthur had a smug look on his face when he spoke.

"Let me tell you something kid. I've been around the block along time. I've seen payoffs in my day. Between gangs, drug deals, you name it. I have probably seen it at one time or another. This was definitely a payoff."

"Why didn't you call the police or tell anyone?"

Arthur laughed.

"Well if one cop is dirty who knows how many others are. Knowing my luck, I would call it in and the guy answering the phone would be dirty. As I said. I know when to keep my mouth shut and no one bothers me."

I nodded.

"I understand. Why are you telling me this now than?"

Arthur sighed.

"I've lived a long life and seen so many things. I'm tired of the corruption and the violence happening around here. You look like a decent fellow. You're trying to solve a murder, that's ok in my book. Now to get to your original question. That other fellow. You said his name was Bob Caster?"

"Yeah that's him in the picture."

Arthur looked down at the picture again before he spoke.

"Three days after the payoff, Bob paid me a visit. He came to my house while I happened to be outside and tried to scare me by waving a gun in my face. He was asking me all sorts of questions on what I saw and did I tell anyone. Things like that. I told him if he was going to shoot me then do it or get the god damned thing out of my face. I don't scare easily living around these parts. Finally he put the gun away when his scare tactics weren't working. I told him my memory was fuzzy on the night in question and that I couldn't find my lighter for my cigar and that I saw a shooting star. I just babbled some other stuff as well and finally he left me alone thinking I was a crazy old man."

I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Did he say anything else to you? Like who sent him perhaps?"

Arthur shook his head.

"Nope. That was pretty much all he said. If you ask me, it was either the guy driving or that pretty thing sitting next to him. I doubt it was the cop cause I probably wouldn't be here talking to you if it was."

I wrote it all down and double checked my notes to make sure I had it right.

"A good friend of mine is a detective in the force. He is a solid guy. Straight as an arrow. The most honest man I've ever met in my life. I have known him for over twenty years. I want to tell him about the payoff. Would you talk to him about this if I can get him to keep your name out of it? If he gave you his word then he would keep it until the day he died. He could discreetly find out who the cop was and send internal affairs on him. It would benefit all of us if you would do that."

Arthur gave me a look that said he wasn't to sure about it, but then shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm sure your friend could persuade me to recall the night in question." He said with a wink.

I stood up and shook Arthur's hand.

"Thank you Arthur. You've been a really big help. I'm sure my friend, Dwight O'Toole is his name, will be calling on you today sometime. You can't mistake him. He is an ex-linebacker with a giant afro."

Arthur bust out laughing and I joined in. Dwight was a funny sight to behold.
Friday Afternoon

It was close to noontime when I left Arthur's place and I was getting hungry. I gave Dwight a call and told him about the payoff and gave him Arthur's information and told him a little money would go a long way and that Arthur respected his privacy. Dwight assured me he would be discreet about it and told me he had no other information for me so far on the fire, but Bob Caster died from a cocaine overdose. The medical examiner found a puncture mark with white residue around it. Someone injected enough cocaine into his system to kill a horse. I told him I was working some leads and I would get back to him later on in the day and we hung up.

I drove back to my house to check on some things and to freshen up. I was feeling grungy from being out all morning and the yard was a dirty place to be in. My shoes were a mess. When I got home I had a message on my machine.

"Hey Tony it's me Aerial. I was calling to see what you were doing today and was wondering if you wanted to grab some lunch. Give me a call if you're not busy."

She called thirty minutes ago according to the time stamp. I replayed the message and had a stupid boyish grin on my face. Before I knew it, I was dialing her number and she picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

I didn't know what to say and I stood in my kitchen frozen, looking at the phone.

"Hello? Who is this?"

I wasn't sure what to say. It's been such a long time since I ever thought of another woman in any other way, but a client or a suspect in something. I was at a loss for words.

"Hello? I can hear you breathing I know someone is there."

I finally got the courage to speak.

"Oh, hey, its me Tony. Sorry about that. I dropped the phone."

Aerial began to laugh that lovely laugh of hers.

"You're such a lousy liar. I didn't hear the phone drop. What's up? Can you do lunch?"

I checked the clock and it was 12:07. I thought about the deadline I was on and how much I had to do today. I wasn't sure if I would be able to squeeze in a long lunch, but listening to everyone close to me complaining that I needed to get out more, here was my chance. I calculated a few things in my head before I spoke.

"Um, sure I can do lunch. I need an hour though to finish up a few things. Do you have any place in mind?"

Aerial's voice was music to my ears and I was just listening to her talk and realized I haven't heard a word she said.

"Sorry, was distracted for a minute on something here. Can you repeat that?"

She must think I'm an idiot.

"I was saying I didn't have any place in mind really. Maybe just grab something to eat at the diner. How about I'll meet you at The Roadside Diner at 1:30. Does that work for you?"

I looked at the clock again and nodded. Realizing she can't see me I rolled my eyes at myself for being so stupid.

"Sure. That sounds great. I'll be there in about an hour. I'm looking forward to seeing you."

I hung up the phone and went into my office. A bunch of my searches came back on Reggie Lucio. I hit the print button on everything that came back and jumped in the shower while they were all printing. I took a quick shower and got dressed in a clean pair of dress slacks and white collared shirt. I brushed my teeth real quick and went back down into my office. There were a lot of papers in the printer on Reggie. I took them all into the kitchen and placed them on the table next to Bob's ledger. I browsed through them quick, but wasn't really paying attention, my mind was drifting to the date I had. I noticed that Mooch owned a lot of properties in the docks district. According to the paperwork, he owned four residential homes and a plot of land in the warehouse district near the docks. Some company paid rent to use his land. I had to give it to him. He was doing well for himself considering his source of income. He had no record and never went to court for anything. He was current with all his taxes on his properties. He was part owner of the Watering Hole. That was interesting. I guess that's why his number was there for people to use his services.

There were pages and pages of information to go through, but it was getting close to One o'clock and I had to leave if I planned on being on time for lunch. I left everything on the table and grabbed my jacket before leaving the house. I strapped on my shoulder holster and made sure my baton was in the secret pocket before heading out. I didn't really need it for a lunch date, but the way things have been going for me lately I didn't want to take any chances.

I pulled into The Roadside Diner parking lot at 1:35. I was cursing the traffic I hit while I ran inside. Being late for a first date was never a good thing. I walked inside and I saw Aerial sitting on the bench next to the register, waiting to be seated. She looked as good as ever. She was wearing a red skirt that went down past her knees and a matching red sweater. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her misty blue eyes were as beautiful as I remembered. She smiled when I walked in and got up and gave me a quick hug.

I gave her a smile.

"Sorry I was late. I got caught in some traffic on the way."

She shrugged her shoulders and I watched as her breasts rose and fell. She was beautiful and I had no idea how I had gotten so lucky.

"That's ok. I just got here myself. I hope your hungry. I'm famished."

I nodded. The waitress showed us to a corner booth and gave us two menus and took our drink order. Aerial just ordered some coffee and I got a Pepsi. I picked up the menu looking it over trying to figure out something witty to say. My hands were fidgeting all over the place. Aerial was watching me with an amused grin.

"You don't get out much do you?" she said to me.

I let out a short laugh.

"What gives it away?"

"For starters, you haven't been able to look me in the eyes yet, and your hands are shaking. I would guess you're not used to going out with people of the opposite sex. Now why is that? You're a handsome man. Why aren't you married or with someone?"

I put down the menu and looked into her eyes. I don't know if it was just the way she talked or the way she was looking at me, but I felt I could talk to her about anything. I let out a sigh.

"Well your right about that. I don't get out much and my friends keep telling me I need to go out more often. I guess I just wasn't ready to date yet after the..." I stopped talking and wasn't sure if I wanted to get into it about Mary, but the way Aerial was watching me I just wanted to tell her everything.

"After Mary was killed."

Aerial looked sad and put her hand on top of my hand.

"I'm sorry. Who's Mary? Was she someone close?"

I could feel the knot in my stomach and I nodded.

"Mary was my fiancée."

Aerial was still patting my hand and her eyes showed sadness at my pain.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I understand bringing up the past sometimes is very painful."

I shook my head and continued.

"It's ok. It's been over three years now. It's just that I never found justice for Mary."

Aerial looked puzzled and was being patient with me to start from the beginning.

"I'd just quit the force and opened my own Private Investigator practice. Mary was my secretary. She was very valuable to me and I couldn't get anything done without her. My typing skills and organizational skills were horrendous. We spent long hour's together everyday. She was very smart and had a keen eye for details. She was beautiful, and she was always smiling. She had a positive outlook on life no matter what the circumstances. After a while my practice was doing very well and Mary and I started dating. We spent every hour together almost between work and our private time together. People say you need alone time away from your partner, but we didn't. We were very happy together. I remember the day I proposed to Mary. It was after a very tough case. The son of a powerful man in the finance district went missing. When I was on the force, I was specialized in tracking down missing persons. I was good at it. I have very good instincts about people and was very good at interviewing people. I could tell if I was being lied to."

The waitress came over with her order pad and asked if we were ready to give our orders. I ordered the roast beef special with some mashed potatoes and Aerial ordered a Tuna melt. When the waitress left Aerial told me to continue.

"I was hired to find this missing boy. After three grueling days of interviews and leg work I was able to find the boy. A business rival had kidnapped him. The reasons are unimportant right now, but after that case Mary and I went out to dinner to celebrate. We had reservations at The Fishermens Wharf over in the docks district. That was the night I proposed and she said yes. We were very happy. We were engaged for two years. We figured we would set a date when the practice was doing solid and we always thought we would have plenty of time. One day after work Mary said she was going to stop at Hectors Wine and Spirits to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner. I told her I would take care of it, but she said she was passing by there anyway and she would meet me at home. I gave her a kiss when she left the office. I was finishing up some paper work. About an hour later I got a call from my buddy Dwight."

I had to stop, my eyes were beginning to water and I could feel the tears rolling down my cheeks. Aerial was still holding my hand and gently squeezing it. I looked up into her eyes and there was such sadness in them. I could tell she really did care and it was comforting.

"Dwight told me Mary was shot during a robbery at the liquor store. She was pronounced dead at the scene."

Aerial was crying, but held on tight to my hand.

"That must've been awful. You don't need to say anymore. I understand."

I reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes and she took my hand and kissed it.

"Her killers were never found and I spent a long time trying to track them down. After hundreds of hours of investigating I was nowhere on the case. My life was in shambles. My business was suffering for it and I couldn't think of working until her killers were brought to justice. I spent six straight months trying to find her killers. That was three years ago. After six months, Dwight kicked my ass and got me back on track with my life. I still haven't given up on finding her killers, but I was able to get back to work and stabilize my life. I haven't dated since. I thought it would be cheating on Mary to have her death go unsolved while I was out with other women."

The waitress picked a good time to bring us our food and refill our drinks. We ate in silence for a little while, I wasn't sure if I scared her off pouring out my sob story on her in the first ten minutes of our date. I had to do something.

"So tell me about yourself? You seem to know a lot about me, but I know nothing about you. I'm all ears."

I scooped up some mashed potatoes and dropped some gravy on my shirt. I shrugged my shoulders and gave her my best boyish grin. She laughed as I tried to clean up the mess with my napkin, making it worse.

"I'm a city kid; I lived here my whole life. I was very artistic when I was younger and had big dreams of making it in the art world. I went to college at The Arts Institute and thought I would have my own gallery by now."

"I would love to see some of your paintings one day if you wouldn't mind."

She smiled at me and gave me a wink.

"Maybe I'll give you a private showing one day."

I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks. As I said. I was not good at this dating thing and women confused me. She was laughing.

"You're so cute."

I cleared my throat. "So what brings you working at the bar?"

"I have to pay the bills some how. The bar gives me good money and the hours are great for me to still do my art and have some kind of life. Plus, I get to meet a lot of interesting people. It's not the ideal job, but it works for me."

I had to give her credit. Putting up with drunken people all night and probably getting hit on and groped day after day, but making a living and doing what she likes to do. I was busy looking into her eyes and letting my eyes wander from time to time up and down her tight sweater when I realized she was talking to me.

"Um, what did you say? I was busy thinking of something."

"I could probably guess what you were thinking about."

She laughed that laugh of hers again and gave me a devilish grin.

"What I said was what made you quit the force? You had a good paying job working for the city. Why start your own business? From what I read about you, you were a rising star in the police department. You solved some high profile cases. I hear you got awards from the mayor as well. Why give it all up?"

"Bureaucratic bullshit. That's why I quit the force. The made me a scapegoat for a case that went horribly wrong. Do you remember the festival killings about six years ago?"

Aerial nodded. "That was when those five people were murdered during the festival by the sea wasn't it? I remember that."

"I was lead detective on that case. Things were hectic and the mayor was breathing down our necks. We wanted to shut down the festival, but they refused. All they cared about was the revenue they would lose if they closed it down. They wanted us to solve that case quick and we had a pretty decent sized task force working on that case. All the evidence pointed to one man, a drifter. It was just too easy. It didn't make any sense at the time. I thought he was innocent, but the mayor wanted an arrest. It was after the third killing when the mayor forced the chief's hand and made us bring the guy in. I kept telling them that he wasn't the guy and it looked like he was being set up. No one listened to me and they arrested the guy. They made a big deal about catching the killer. The mayor held press conferences saying the festival was safe and the killer was caught. The very next day two more murders took place. They blamed me for arresting the wrong guy even though they wouldn't listen to me. During a press conference I said that I told the mayor he had the wrong guy, but all he cared about was the city's money from the festival."

Aerial laughed. "I remember that. Didn't they suspend you after that?"

"Yeah. The mayor didn't appreciate looking like a jackass in the press. He told me I was insubordinate and my attitude wasn't that of a team player. They suspended me with pay. I told Dwight what I thought about the case and pointed him in the direction of the real killer. There was one thing that a homeless guy saw that no one paid attention to. I tried telling them, but they wouldn't listen. Dwight followed up the lead and they got the real killer about a week later trying to stow away on one of the ships leaving port. They tried sweeping it under the rug and letting me come back without apologizing, but I quit. I had enough of the BS. That's when I decided to open up my own business. Enough about me. Why aren't you married or have a boyfriend? You're a very attractive woman. I was sure you'd be taken by now."

Aerial let out a sigh.

"I've dated of course, but never found someone worth marrying. Most of the guys I've dated recently have been immature or have heavy duty problems that I didn't want to get caught up in. I'm an easy going person. I like my freedom. A lot of guys are put off that I'm not career oriented. They think I should be slaving away 9 to 5 at some desk. They just don't understand what its like to be an artist. Who am I hurting by following my dreams and working at a bar at the same time? I'm able pay my bills and still do what I love to do. I live on my own and don't need anyone's help."

I could tell while she was talking that she loved being independent and having the freedom to do what she chose. People get intimidated by those traits in a woman.

"I see no problems following your dreams. Do what makes you happy is what my mom always said."

Aerial gave a smile at that and I smiled back.

"What kind of paintings do you do? Sounds interesting to me. I never met an artist before. I have seen a ton of art on peoples walls, but never understood why something that looks like a 2 year old scribbled on a piece of paper with a crayon could be worth so much money."

Aerial giggled at my comments.

"I mostly do landscapes and portraits. People that have seen my art tell me that I have a good eye. I have tons of paintings all over my apartment. I have sold some, but I wish I could sell them all. I've been looking for someone to open up a gallery with my work for a long time now. It's hard to get into the art business. You need to know people or find someone willing to put up money to back you. I don't have either unfortunately."

The waitress came to clear off our table and asked if we wanted any desert. I passed, but Aerial ordered a piece of apple pie.

"The case your working on now. What happened? Can you tell me anything about it? I find your job fascinating. What did Anthony do that you're looking into him?"

I could tell she wanted to hear about the case. She had a curious look about her. I figured it wouldn't hurt and maybe she could actually help me. Bartenders hear things. Maybe she had some kind of information I might not have thought about.

"I was hired to find Jim Cooper."

Aerial stopped me. "That's Anthony's partner right? The Save Space Inc. guys?"

I nodded. "Yup, that's him. He went missing for a few days and someone hired me to find him. When I did find him, he was dead in his house."

Aerial looked horrified.

"And you think Anthony did it?"

I finished up my drink before answering.

"I did at first. Jim was doing something that Anthony would have been pretty pissed about. The more I looked into it, it looks like Anthony didn't do it. All evidence points to a low life thug named Mooch."

"I've heard of Mooch, but never met the guy. The owner has his number behind the bar in case people ask for it. I know he is some kind of pimp and bookie."

I nodded.

"That's the guy. The fight you heard between Jim and Anthony was about storage units. Anthony owes Mooch a whole lot of money. While he is paying him off he gave Mooch a few storage units to hold various things. Most of them stolen goods. Jim found out about it and confronted Anthony, threatening to tell his wife about it. Jim was killed a few days later. I figured Mooch found out about Jim and what he knew and had him killed. I'm pretty sure it wasn't him, but I do know it is someone within his little empire. Either with Mooch's approval or they went out and did it on their own, I'm not sure about that yet."

Talking about this gave me an idea and I pulled out Bob Casters photo and showed it to Aerial. The waitress came with the apple pie and topped off Aerial's coffee. I waited for the waitress to leave.

"Have you ever seen this guy?"

Aerial took the photo and looked at it a long time, studying it.

"I've seen him a bunch of times. Who is he?"

She handed me back the photo.

"His name is Bob Caster. He did odd jobs for Mooch. He was an antique dealer and would appraise things for Mooch before they were stolen out of the people's homes. Did he ever come in with anyone or did he usually come in by himself?"

"Usually he came in when Anthony was here and talked to him a few times. I've seen him talk to other people as well. He rarely drank though. He would just come in and talk for a little while and than leave. A few times he did come in with a woman during a big sporting event. Sat in the corner and ordered a few drinks. Never really caused any problems."

"What did the woman look like? Have you ever seen her before?"

Aerial nodded.

"I've seen her bunch of times, she's a beautiful woman. Ebony colored skin, shoulder length jet black hair. Nice curvy figure. On another occasion she came in with short red hair, it must have been a wig. I could tell it was the same person though. You can't mistake her if you saw her. Each time she was wearing a blue silk scarf around her neck. She's been in with a bunch of different guys, not just with Bob."

I knew that person. Aerial must be talking about Crystal, Mooch's girl. Why didn't I think of wigs? I took out my phone and looked at the picture of the nurse. She had the same body shape as Crystal and she could be wearing a wig under the nurse's cap. If she looked at the camera I would have been able to make a positive id. I was going to have to pay Crystal another visit. She could be the one Bob was working for. I know she has a cruel streak in her from what Nikki told me. I can't picture her as a killer though. Maybe she went to talk to Bob in the hospital and Bob was already dead. That sounded weak, even to me.

I tried to think back on the night I spent with Crystal and remember everything she said and did. Aerial was watching me as she ate her apple pie.

"What are you looking at?"

I showed her the picture of the nurse. She looked at it for a moment and shrugged.

"Someone from the case?"

"I'm not sure yet. Bob Caster kidnapped me last night and tried to kill me."

Aerial looked horrified.

"Oh my god, are you alright?"

I waved it away like it was no big deal.

"What, yeah I'm fine. I knocked out bob and he was sent to the hospital. Bob died early this morning. This is one of two nurses that the police can't find to question, that went into his room."

"He's dead? You killed him?"

I must have looked annoyed because Aerial made a funny face.

"No, I didn't kill him. He had me tied up to a chair and was going to shoot me in the back of the head. I was able to knock him down because he didn't tie up my feet too well, then I fell back on him with the chair and hit him in the head. He died sometime in the hospital. Not from my injuries though. We think he was killed to keep from talking about who hired him. Besides working for Mooch, he worked for another person associated with him. That's who I'm trying to find out about now. I think who ever hired Bob was the one that killed Jim."

The waitress came and gave us the check. I took it and paid, left a tip on the table, and we walked outside into the parking lot. I walked Aerial to her car and she leaned up against the side looking at me.

"I hope I didn't scare you off."

Aerial gave me a grin.

"I'm not that easily frightened. I just never realized how dangerous being a private investigator was."

I gave out a laugh.

"Usually it's not like this. A lot of the time I sit in the office and run background checks on people or I sit in front of a place running surveillance for many hours with nothing ever happening. Every now and than I run into a real case like this one. I'm able to take care of myself though."

I stood their awkwardly not knowing what else to say while she was looking at me. Aerial leaned over and kissed my cheek.

"I had a good time Tony. I would like to do it again sometime. Maybe show you some of my artwork, if your interested of course."

"Of course I am. That would be great. Either way I'm done with this case in two days and then I was going to go fishing in my cabin upstate for a week to unwind."

Aerial gave me a wink as she got into her car and closed the door. She opened up the window as she was backing out.

"I love fishing."

She laughed and drove away leaving me standing in the parking lot wondering what the hell she meant by that. I'll never understand women. I wanted to get home and go through the stuff I printed out on Mooch.
Friday Late afternoon-Evening

I got back to my house in a good mood. My date with Aerial was a success, at least for me it was. She didn't go running and actually said she wanted to do it again. When I pulled up in my driveway there was a small package in my mail box. I parked the car and grabbed the package. It had a small note attached to it.

Sorry about the trouble I caused. I hope this helps a little.

It was signed Kenny Fields. I opened the package and saw Louise. She had muck and grim all over her and smelled really bad, but at least I had her back. I opened the door and went inside. I hung up my coat and put my shoulder holster next to the door under my coat and walked into the kitchen and stopped short.

"Hello Mr. Gavel."

There was a man sitting at my kitchen table. He had a slight build, but I could tell he was tall. Probably pushing six feet if he got up. He was clean cut and had a sun tanned complexion. He looked Hispanic, but could pass for a light skinned African American. He was dressed in a blue silk suit with matching silk tie. He had on a pair of leather driving gloves, I assumed so he wouldn't leave any finger prints while in my home. He had a bunch of papers spread out in front of him on the table and I could tell it was Bob Caster's ledger and other various things from the background check I did on him.

I tried not to act shocked and played it cool.

"Hello Mooch, or would you rather I call you Reggie?"

Mooch gave me a smile and showed off his perfect white teeth.

"You can call me Reggie. Please have a seat and be comfortable."

I gave him a smile, turned to get to my gun and Michael was standing behind me. People's description of Michael did not do him justice. He was a mountain of a man. He was a few inches taller than me and could give Dwight a run for his money in the muscles department. This man was so big his muscles had muscles. Michael put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. I thought my shoulder was going to pop out of its socket. I turned around and took a seat across from Mooch, holding the package under the table in my hands. I still had Louise in my hands, so I still had a chance. I was trying to remember where I had the taser. I think it was in the trunk of my car with my spy gear. I gave a sigh and tried to look defeated as I put my hand in the bag under the table grabbing a hold of Louise in case I needed her.

Michael walked up to Reggie and put my gun on the table in front of him and placed the bullets on the table as well. I didn't plan on using that gun, but now I knew that option was lost if needing be. Reggie looked up from the papers he was reading and gave Michael a nod. Michael took his place behind me and I felt like a caged animal in a zoo.

"This is quite a collection of information you've gathered about me. I don't know why you're looking into me, but I was surprised when I got a call saying there was a private investigator poking around my business. I always thought I kept my businesses low key. So the two questions I have for you Mr. Gavel is: Who are you working for and what are you actually looking for? And please don't try and lie to me Mr. Gavel. I have done this thousand of times and I have a knack for knowing when someone isn't telling me the truth."

I gave Mooch my friendliest smile.

"You know, if you wanted to talk to me all you had to do was make an appointment. I would've been more than happy to meet with you."

"Funny you say that. I did stop by your office, but it seemed to be closed for the time being. I hear those old buildings have faulty wiring. You really need to be careful when you start a business. Make sure everything is solid and in working order. You know what I mean? Now answer my questions."

I was trying to stall for time and think of a way out of this without getting broken in two by Michael. I figured the truth wouldn't hurt to a degree.

"I was looking into the death of Jim Cooper and your name popped up a few times."

Mooch picked up one of the papers from the table and looked at it before speaking.

"Ah yes, Jimmy. He was a good man. The girls really liked him. From what I read, he committed suicide. Wasn't it a gunshot to the head? Now why would he do that? He had a good business, making a lot of money. He had all the girls he could want. A shame really."

My blood started to boil the way he was so arrogant and smug. He knew more than he was saying. I stood up, but Michael quickly put his hands on my shoulders and pushed me back down on the chair.

"You know damn well that Jim Cooper didn't commit suicide. I figure you had something to do with his death. If not you than someone you told to do it."

Mooch looked shocked at my accusations.

"Why would I kill Jim Cooper? He was a good customer. He made me a lot of money over the last two years. It's bad for business to kill your customers, Mr. Gavel. I'm sure you're well aware of that fact. Is this why you have been asking about me and doing research on me?"

Mooch let out a laugh. Michael just stood behind me. He might as well have been part of the wall for all the movement and noise he was making. I had enough of the games and wanted answers.

"You know he found out about the storage units that Anthony gave you to store your stolen goods. You killed him to keep him quiet. Don't play games with me Mooch. I'm not in the mood."

Mooch looked surprised again. When was I going to learn to keep my mouth shut?

"He found out about those huh. And who did he tell? Did he tell you? I'm sure he confronted Anthony about it. Did he tell Anthony's wife perhaps? I might have to go pay them a visit when I'm done with you. You've been a big help today Mr. Gavel."

I pushed my chair back hard and caught Michael off guard and I leapt to the side and pulled Louise out of the package and pointed it at Mooch. Michael began to take a step towards me so I pointed Louise at him. Switching between the two constantly while trying to figure out what to do next.

"I've had enough. If you move Michael, I am going to put a bullet in your head. That goes for you as well Mooch. I'm sure my friends at the force would consider this a justified shooting considering you broke into my home."

Mooch put his hands in the air in mock surrender.

"Let's not get to hasty Mr. Gavel. It doesn't have to be like this. I just came to your house for a friendly chat. No need for any bloodshed to happen. When you find out someone is after you, don't you try and find out everything you can? I am just doing the same thing. I'm a business man and I am trying to protect my business."

I let out a laugh.

"Ha. You're nothing but a lowlife thug. You're not a business man. All you care about is your money. You don't care who gets hurt in the process of getting it."

Mooch feigned a hurt look.

"I'm hurt for you to think so low of me. I've done nothing to harm you in anyway. I take good care of my girls. Banks do far worse then I do, when someone doesn't pay back their loan. I don't put people on the street or take away their cars or homes."

I kept the gun aimed at the both of them.

"No, you just break legs and arms and other various body parts, or steal valuable antiques from their homes."

Mooch's eyebrows rose when I said that. I could see Mooch looking at Michael, hoping he would do something soon. I trained my gun on Michael.

"Don't do it. I have no qualms about shooting you." I looked over at Mooch. "Ever since I heard about you and started looking into you: I've been shot at, Kidnapped, my office torched. I know you're behind it or someone trying to protect you is. I'm going to find out and you'll all be sharing a cell upstate. Why did you kill Bob Caster? I know you had something to do with it to keep him quiet after he tried to kill me."

Mooch looked very surprised and I could tell he knew nothing about Bobs death.

Just then Michael decided to make his move and he lunged towards me. I grinned as I pulled Louise's trigger. Imagine my surprise when nothing happened. Click. Michael hesitated for a second and smiled. I pulled it again and nothing happened. I forgot Kenny told me he emptied the bullets out of my gun and threw them in the bushes outside my house. Michael picked me up before I had a chance to do anything and slammed me into the kitchen table. The table broke and my spare gun and bullets went flying all over the kitchen.

Mooch jumped back and stood a good distance away while I tried to regain my footing. Michael came at me and I kicked him in the knee as hard as I could. Michael let out a gasp, as pain shot through his body allowing me to get up. I didn't stop there, I was a flurry of motion and hit Michael hard in the side of the head with Louise. Blood began to drip down the side of his head as I kicked his knee again. Michael went down on one knee and I kneed him in the face breaking his nose. Michael fell to the ground and I turned towards Mooch. He looked shocked that someone could take Michael down and began searching the floor for the gun and bullets.

I lunged at Mooch and grabbed his suit while he was bending down to pick up a bullet. I spun him around and punched him in the face with a jab. Mooch stood up and smiled. I went to hit him with Louise and Mooch did one of those moves you see in all the karate movies and was able to block the punch and knock Louise out of my hand. I should have figured Mooch would be able to protect himself. He didn't always have Michael to protect him. I was no slouch myself in unarmed combat when I am prepared for it. I've boxed and wrestled my whole life and had extensive training while in the force and from other various self defense courses.

We squared off, sizing each other up for a few seconds and Mooch made his move. He was quick and lunged with a fist trying to hit me in the neck. I was able to block the punch and loop my arm around his, holding it tight. I struck out with my fist and hit him in the chin. Mooch was tougher than he looked. He kicked out with his foot and stomped on my instep making me let go of him and I took a step back. Mooch did a side kick and tried to kick me in the stomach, but I grabbed his foot and twisted as hard as I could spinning him and making him fall to the ground. I jumped on top of him and got him in a headlock. I began squeezing tight and wiggled my arm so that it was against his neck, breaking off any oxygen he was getting. Mooch began to struggle not being able to breath and I held tight. Just than a hand grabbed my hair and pulled me off Mooch. I forgot all about Michael and he looked pissed. Once he had me on my feet he pulled me into his arms and began squeezing me in a bear hug. I could feel my ribs being compressed and I heard a crack.

I began gasping for breath. I had to do something quick or this would be the end of me. When you are fighting for your life there are no rules. Michael was squeezing the life out of me and my arms were pinned. I tried wriggling my body but Michael held on tight. My head was close to his and I gave him a head butt as hard as I could, hitting him in his broken nose. He cried out in pain and dropped me to the ground. Michael was standing in front of me holding his nose.

"You bastard. You're going to pay for that."

I was gasping for breath but I was able to smile.

"Not today I won't"

I punched him as hard as I could between the legs and Michael went down. I got myself to my feet and kicked Michael right in the head. Michael was out like a light. I turned towards Mooch and he was standing with my gun trained on me.

"Goodbye Mr. Gavel."

I dove through the archway into the hall as Mooch pulled the trigger. The bullet whizzed past me and hit the wall where I was standing. I heard Mooch curse as he scrambled looking for another bullet. I ran out the front door grabbing my jacket.

It was getting late and the sun was almost set. It was beginning to get dark outside and I ran down the block a few houses and kept looking at my house to see if Mooch was coming after me. I ducked behind one of my neighbors cars and crouched low watching my house. I was gasping for breath and my ribs were killing me. I didn't know how much longer I would be able to run. The lights were off and I couldn't see much, but my front door was still wide open and Mooch didn't come outside. I reached into my jacket and grabbed my phone to call Dwight. Just as I was dialing the neighbor came out of his front door and turned on his porch light.

He began shouting.

"Who's there?" Get out of my yard. I see you trying to break into my car. I'm calling the police."

I couldn't have been happier. While my neighbor went back inside I ran back towards my house, crossing the street and hiding at my next door neighbor's house. I know he worked evenings and he wouldn't be home. I had a good vantage point and was able to see my house from here. I waited a few minutes and still no movement came from my house. Down my block I saw a police cruiser heading this way. When it got close to me I ran out into the street waving my arms so he would stop. I recognized the cop when he pulled up. I rushed to his window and doubled over in pain. I tried to draw a breath, but my whole body was wracked with pain. I was in bad shape.

"Carl, two men broke into my house. One of them has a gun and shot at me. The other broke some of my ribs. I was able to run outside and Dave called you guys thinking I was breaking into his car. No one came out my front door yet."

As I finished my sentence we heard a gunshot from inside the house. I ducked behind the car. Carl picked up his handset.

"Dispatch, we got a 10-31 with shots fired at 19 Orchard ave. Please send back up."

Carl got out of his cruiser and pulled his gun. He made his way to my house while I followed him closely and whispered.

"Last time I saw them, they were both in the kitchen. One of them was unconscious."

Carl nodded and walked into the house. The house was dark, so Mooch must have turned out the lights. I let Carl go inside while I dug around in my bushes, under the kitchen window, looking for the bullets that Kenny said he threw there. While I was looking for the bullets I could hear Carl talking into his handset inside the kitchen, but couldn't make out what he was saying. After a few minutes I found the bullets and hurried inside. I could see Carl walking down the hall peeking into the bathroom. I stuck my head into the kitchen and Michael's body was on the floor. There was a pool of blood forming under his head. Mooch must have shot him to keep him quiet. I flipped on the light and looked around the room. My broken table was scattered all over the place and I could see a few bullets as well. I found Louise under one of the chairs, picked her up and slipped some bullets in her. All the papers I had on Mooch were gone as well as Bobs ledger. My spare gun was tossed in my sink, but I knew they wouldn't have prints on them. Mooch was wearing gloves.

I heard my sliding glass door open and Carl walked into the back. I headed upstairs with Louise in hand. I was ready for him this time and was going to put a bullet in his head if he was stupid enough to be up there. I figured Mooch was long gone by now though. I made a quick check of the bedrooms, closets and my bathroom upstairs and they were all empty. I went back downstairs and I could hear sirens in the distance. Carl was in the kitchen looking at Michael, making sure not to step in any of the blood or to touch anything in the room. He looked up at me when I walked into the room. I looked down at Michael. He had a bullet hole in the back of his head. Mooch must have shot him while he was still unconscious on the ground after he couldn't wake him up.

"He must have slipped out the back. Your back door was partially open. I looked in the backyard but no one was there. He probably jumped the fence."

I nodded and went into my office. My computer was smashed and lying on the floor, but nothing else was out of place in there. As I went back into the kitchen, police started showing up at my house. I could see the lights flashing outside my door and a few officers were coming up the walkway. I walked into the living room and sat on the couch. It was a long day and I was tired, my ribs were killing me and I could hardly breathe without gasping in pain. I heard the police talking in the kitchen but I ignored them and closed my eyes. This case was draining me. It was getting out of control. Three dead bodies and now a maniac pimp were gunning for me as well as someone else that was on his payroll. I have no idea how long I sat there with my eyes closed. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Tony, are you ok?

Dwight was standing above me with a look of concern on his face. I gave him a weak smile.

"I'm a lot better off then Michael. He's the guy in the kitchen. I'll take my broken ribs over a bullet in the head any day."

Dwight took out his notepad and a pen and began writing, always the professional.

"Shit Tony, you need to go to the hospital."

I waved my hand in the air.

"I'll be fine with some rest. They can't do anything for broken ribs anyway."

Dwight looked skeptical, but knew how stubborn I was.

"Who's Michael?"

"He was Mooch's enforcer." I gave a weak laugh. "After the beat down I gave him, I'd say he wasn't too good at his job anyway."

Dwight rolled his eyes at my humor.

"Tell me what happened from the beginning; don't leave anything out this time."

I told him everything I did today, the interviews, the lunch date, what happened when I came home. I told him what I found out about Mooch, his real name and his property addresses. Dwight wrote it all down.

"I think I know who killed Jim Cooper and who killed Bob Caster. Just give me a few hours and I should have enough evidence for you to get a conviction in court."

Dwight shook his head.

"That's out of the question. We got three dead bodies now from this case. We're taking it over."

My face was red with anger and my blood was boiling.

"Come on Dwight. After everything I went through today, all I'm asking for is a few hours. You need me anyway. Mooch smashed my computer and all my information was on it. How long do you think its going to take your tech guys to get the information off of it? Face it you need me. Let me do this."

I could tell Dwight was getting mad. He had that look about him.

"I can just haul you off to jail for obstruction."

I laughed.

"And what good will that do. You still won't have any of the information and I think when I hit my head during the fight I may have forgotten some things. How about we work together? You get a search warrant for Mooch's house and let me check out my last lead. I'll call you as soon as I get some positive proof and you can swoop in with your warrants and arrest the killer. It's a win-win for everyone."

Dwight thought about it for a few minutes while I sat there in pain on my living room couch. The crime scene guys showed up and began doing their thing in the kitchen. I heard one of the tech guys say that the media was outside already, just what I needed.

"Ok Tony, we work together. As soon as you find out anything, call me and we will do the rest. I don't have to remind you that there are people trying to kill you. Be careful."

Dwight got up, helped me to my feet and gave me a pat on the back.

"Call me Tony. Don't go cowboy on me."

I gave Dwight my best boyish grin.

"Who me? I'm a team player you know that."

I walked into my office and grab a few spare cartridges of bullets for Louise and slipped them into my jacket pocket. I had Louise back, even though she smelled like a cesspool. I had a good idea on where I was heading. I just had to duck the media. I was not in the mood to answer any questions. Let the police handle that. I slipped out the back door and opened up the shed. Inside was my Harley Davidson Fat Boy. A few years back during the child smuggling case I bought a little strip of land from my neighbor that lived behind me. I needed a way to be able to leave my house with out being seen. The strip of land gives me enough room to drive Fat Boy through it and out to the street behind me. It has saved me a lot of hassle since I bought it, and probably has saved my life on a few occasions as well.

I slipped on my helmet and took out Fat Boy. I walked it through the little swath of land and once I was on the next street I started her up and headed to Mooch's house. I doubt he was going to be there. He wasn't a dumb criminal and I knew he killed Michael. He was probably looking for one of his safe houses he has or maybe grabbing some cash to head out of town. I had to be quick if I was going to get him. Mooch wasn't my primary concern though, getting evidence on Jim's killer was. The problem was I had no idea where to get that evidence.

I decided to try my luck at Mooch's house. If that didn't work I was going to have to try Nikki's house. Being on Fat Boy I was able to make good time. I pulled up to Mooch's house in just under a half hour. It was dark out so I parked a few houses away and slipped Louise out of the holster and went around the back of his house.

The house was dark and if I was lucky no one would be home. I checked the windows as I went to the back door. I didn't see anyone inside or hear anything either. I tried the back door and it was locked. I slipped the lock picks out of my special pocket and made quick work of the lock and let myself in. I was going to have to be quick. I'm sure Dwight will have a search warrant shortly and I needed to be in and out before the police arrived. My best bet was going to be the office if he had one.

I made my way through the living room and checked each room as I came to them. It was a typical ranch style house. I was standing in the living room when I came in. It had an attaching kitchen and a hallway leading to the bathroom at the end of the hall. There were a few doors in the hallway. The first one was a closet. The second room was a office. There was stairs leading up and I checked those rooms to make sure no one was home. The master bedroom had clothes thrown all over the place and the drawers were open. It looked like Mooch made it home and grabbed some things before he split town. I checked the other two bedrooms, but they were empty. I went back down stairs and checked out the office.

A big oak desk was in the corner of the room with a computer tower underneath it and a big screened monitor on top. The computer was still on. I checked it out, but there was nothing of interest on his desktop. I checked the recycle bin. It was empty. I didn't have time to check to see what he deleted. I'm sure he got rid of some things before he left. I began going through the drawers of the desk. Nothing of interest in most of them. Pencils, pads of paper, pens, rulers. Normal stuff that a office desk might have. In the bottom drawer I found what I was looking for. I pulled out Mooch's address book. In his haste I guess he forgot about it. I flipped it open and looked up Crystal. It had her address and phone number and cell phone number. I wrote them down on a pad and checked out Suki's address and phone number as well. If there was going to be any evidence of Jim's murder then it would be at one of those two places.

I picked up Mooch's phone and hit the redial button to see what number he called last. It wasn't Crystal or Suki's number. I hit the dial button and after a few rings a man answered.

"Hey Mooch, I thought you were splitting town. What else did you need me to do?"

I hung up and called Dwight. After the second ring he picked up.

"Hey Dwight, its Tony."

"Where are you?"

"You don't want to know right now. I called to tell you the last person to talk to Mooch within the hour can be reached at 313-555-8790. I got to go. Mooch isn't at his house. He split town."

Dwight began talking but I hung up on him. I didn't feel like explaining myself and time was running out. I checked out the kitchen to see if anything was left in any of the drawers. Usually people hang things up on the refrigerator but he had nothing there. I slipped out of the house and went back to Fat Boy. I punched Crystals address in the GPS and checked the directions. It was about twenty minutes away. It was getting late and I figured she would be out working by now. I made my way to her house.
Friday Evening-Night

Crystals home looked like Mooch's from the outside. It probably had the same design on the inside. There were no cars in the driveway when I got there. I drove past the house and checked to make sure no one was around. The neighborhood had no street lights and it was pretty dark outside. I parked at the end of the block and made my way on foot to her house. I kept Louise loose in the holster and left my driving gloves on so as not to leave any fingerprints. When I got to Crystals neighbor's house, I looked around one more time to make sure no one was watching and slipped between the bushes separating the two houses. I went into Crystal's backyard and looked through the sliding glass door. The house was dark and I didn't see any movement inside. I checked the door and it was unlocked. I slipped inside the house and pulled out my baton. If there was going to be violence I would rather not wake the neighborhood with gun shots. Louise was ready if I needed her though.

I was in the living room and there were two archways leading out of it. One went into the kitchen and the other lead to a hallway. I poked my head into the kitchen to give it a quick look, but I didn't really see anything of interest in there. I went into the hall. There were three doors along the walls and a stairwell at the end. The first door was a bathroom. I ignored it and went to the next room. It was a small gym. Crystal had an exercise bike and treadmill as well as a weight set. She had a chart on the wall with different exercises to do on different days of the week.

The last door was locked. I figured I'd check that last and go through the rest of the house first to make sure it was empty. I made my way upstairs and found four doors. The first door was another bathroom. This one was much bigger than the first with a full tub and it was very spacious. There was a door that leads to the master bedroom. I went inside and took a look around. Her closet was full of very expensive clothing. She had a king sized bed and a few dressers. I went through the drawers but didn't find anything of value to my case. The other two doorways lead to spare bedrooms. Each one was set up identical, a queen sized bed, dresser and closet. The closets had different clothes in them. I assumed some of the other girls slept here on occasion.

I made my way back to the locked door and was able to pick the lock in no time. There was a flight of stairs heading down to a basement. It was pitch black down there. I felt along the wall and found a light switch and flipped it. I headed down the stairs and the basement was large. It went along the whole house. In the middle of the basement was a large rack. It looked like a torture rack from the middle ages. I guess she probably used it for her trade. There was a desk in the corner and in the other was a king sized bed. There were little alcoves along the walls holding different things in each.

The first alcove next to the torture rack had various whips and handcuffs, what looked like feather dusters, some leather suits and gags. Various tools for different types of sexual torture. The next alcove near the bed had all sorts of toys and gadgets and different scented lubes and gels. There was a door along the wall on the other side of the bed. I opened it up and found various outfits and wigs. I went through the outfits. I found a fireman outfit and a policeman, construction worker, school girl, postal uniform and many others. I didn't find a nurse's outfit which I was sure would be in here.

There were all different colors and styles of wigs. I took out my phone and looked at the picture of the nurse. I was trying to find the matching wig. After a look through the twelve different wigs, I couldn't find a match. Maybe I was wrong about Crystal. I pushed the costumes aside and looked in the back of the closet. There was nothing thrown in the corner. I began rapping on the ground with my baton in the closet and I found a hollow spot.

I looked along the edges of the loose floorboard and found a place I was able to slip my hands inside to get a good hold of the board. I pried open the floor board and hit the jackpot. Inside the floor space was a large box. I pulled the box out and opened it up. Inside was a laptop, a cell phone, a journal, nurse's outfit and wig. The nurse's outfit had a faint smell of smoke and gasoline to it. The laptop looked like the one from Jim's house.

I sat on the bed and turned it on. After a few minutes it booted up and it was wiped clean. Crystal must have reformatted the computer thinking it would delete everything on it. Windows based computers never actually delete things. They just moved them around and hid them from the user but deleted files were still inside the computer if you knew where to look. I was very handy around computers and I began the process of restoring the files that were deleted. If I had my computer with me it would take me half the time to do this. The process was going to take at least forty minutes.

I left the computer on the bed and went to her desk and sat down. She had her own laptop on the desk and a big calendar with many things written on it. From what I can tell there were many appointments, probably from her clients. I looked back at the days before Jim was killed. His address was on her calendar for Thursday night. She was the one that Jim was talking to when he went into the shower. On Friday she had written, Spending the night at Reggie's. Dinner at 5:45pm. If Mooch came to see Jim at 6:15, then Crystal was probably with him or at least sitting in the car when Mooch went there.

I opened up the journal she had hidden in the box. It was her personal diary. I read a few passages, it had encounters that she had with various clients. It read like a steamy romance novel. I flipped through it looking through August's entries. I found the one I wanted. It was dated August 20th.

I sent Bob to John the cabbies house. John was with Suki about a week ago and saw Reggie and Michael beating down a dead beat. Afterward he was telling his fares to stay away from the girls, they were bad news and their boss Mooch was a thug. I wanted Bob to scare him. Bob called me later that night and told me he put a gun to his head and showed him the error of his ways. Bob said we wouldn't have a problem with John anymore. If Reggie knew how much I loved him he would treat me better.

I met up with Bob later that night and gave him his usual fee of cocaine and sex. Bob was becoming very useful and had no problems with any of the jobs I have sent him to do for me.

I flipped through the journal and found September 6th.

Reggie was acting strange today. He was in a bad mood and said he had to run some errands and that he wouldn't have time for me unless I went with him. Just being near Reggie was enough for me so I went for the ride. We drove around and collected money for a while with Michael. Michael scares me. He has no problems inflicting pain and violence on people if Reggie wishes it. I don't know where Reggie found Michael, but it's a good thing he is on our side. I wouldn't want to be on the bad side of him.

Reggie and I took a trip to The Yard. He had to make his monthly payoff to the police. I'm not sure how many are on his payroll, but Reggie always gets stressed on the days he has to pay them. He is always worried that they will arrest him and take his money anyway. While we were there I was told to stay in the car. I didn't recognize the cop but the payoff went off without any problems.

While we were leaving, Reggie was in a good mood and chatting up a storm about what we were going to do that night and how things were running good, I noticed a man watching us from his porch as we left. I'm not sure if he saw the payoff and didn't want to say anything to Reggie. He was in such a good mood and I knew he was going to make love to me tonight. I didn't want to blow it. When will Reggie realize what he has in front of him and forget the rest of the girls. I am going to have to do something about that old man. I will have Bob pay him a visit. Reggie doesn't need to be bothered about this. He has a lot of other things to worry about. I can fix this for him like I have done so many other times.

The rest of the entry recapped the night, dinner, movies on the couch and it ended in sex. Arthur Middleton told me that Bob paid him a visit three days after the incident. I flipped to the next page and there was the entry for September 9th.

I called Bob early in the morning to have him check on the old man at The Yard. It was almost 1 o'clock and Bob hasn't called me back yet. I wonder if he went yet.

Bob called and told me the old man was senile and didn't see anything and that he wouldn't be a problem. Bob tried to scare him with his gun, but the old man didn't seem to care. Bob said he would watch him for a few days to see if anything happened and I agreed to it. I would die if Reggie went to jail. I plan to meet up with Bob in a few days to pay him and to find out if the old man did anything.

I flipped through the book looking for October 14th. That was the day Jim Cooper was killed. After about a minute I found her entry.

I can't believe I have Reggie all to myself today. We have the whole day planned. Lunch, movies, dinner at The Fishermen's Wharf and then Reggie for dessert. I couldn't have asked for a better day. Going to get my nails and hair done shortly, then meeting up with Reggie for lunch. He told me he had something important to tell me today. I wonder what it is.

The next entry was for October 15th.

I am scared for what I did last night. Reggie has no idea what I do for him. If he only knew than maybe he would pay more attention to me. I saved his ass from major jail time last night. After diner we stopped by Jim's house. Reggie was asking Jim if they could make some sort of deal about the storage units. I had no idea what they were talking about at first. But I stayed quiet and listened to my dearest Reggie. It seems Anthony owed Reggie a lot of money so he gave him some free storage units to store stuff. Jim found out and was making a big deal about it with Anthony. I guess Jim is all high and mighty and doesn't like Reggie's other business but he has no problem screwing me or any of the other girls. Such a hypocrite. I'm glad he is dead.

After we left Jim's house, we went home and I drugged Reggie and went back to Jim's house. When he opened the door for me I got to use the birthday present Reggie gave me last year and zapped Jim's ass knocking him out. I dragged him back to the couch and didn't know what I was going to do. I remembered he had cameras all over his house so I erased the footage of Reggie ever being there. I found Jim's gun in the desk. Than it came to me. I got some rubber gloves out of the kitchen and got the gun. It was so easy, Reggie would be so proud if he knew how much I loved him to take care of this problem for him. I put the gun in Jim's hand and held it up to his head and pulled the trigger.

I remembered about that bitch he was screwing, so I wrote some love notes and now it looks like Jim killed himself over some slut. Now Reggie is in the clear. I think I'm going to tell Reggie that I'm pregnant this week. He will be so happy knowing we have a child. He will marry me for sure.

I put the journal down. I couldn't believe it. Crystal went off the deep end. She killed Jim over her love for Reggie to protect him. I had all the proof I needed right here. I'm sure when I got Jim's computer restored there will be a video from Jim's house showing the whole thing. So if she was the one that killed him, why didn't she kill me when I met her the first night?

I flipped to the journal entry for October 18th.

I have to call Bob today. Tony Gavel, a private investigator, is looking into Jim's death. I need to find out who hired him. I should have taken care of him last night after he had his way with me. It would have been so easy while he was sleeping. I wrote down his address for his house and office. I'll have Bob look into it. That lying bastard pretending he was Jim's friend. I fooled him though. When I find out who hired him, I will get my revenge. Using me like a piece of meat, drilling me for information. He had no problems screwing me though. I thought he might have found me out. I slipped up while talking to him about Jim. I said to him "If" you see him again. Some private investigator. He didn't realize my mistake. He had the killer in front of him the whole night and didn't catch on.

I can't tell Reggie about this. It will drive him crazy. I'll take care of it like I did Jim. Reggie will be so pleased with me. Maybe when it's all over we can have a good laugh about it.

I'm lucky she needed more information from me or I would be dead. I looked to see if there was an entry for today and I found it.

Poor Bob. He didn't take care of that meddlesome investigator. At least I made it painless for him and he died doing that horrible drug of his. People will wonder how he died of an overdose but it's not my problem. He served his purpose though. Its going to be hard to find a good replacement. He should have listened to me. Now I ruined a good wig. I'll never get the smell of gasoline and smoke out of it. Screw you Bob. If you did your job I wouldn't have to go around blowing up buildings.

My poor Reggie. I hope he is sleeping soundly right now. I want him nice and refreshed for tonight. I'm going to tell him finally about his child we are having together. Maybe he will ask me to marry him. I'm sure he will.

I closed the journal and placed it on the desk. There were hundreds of entries in the journal. Who knows what else she had done to protect Mooch. I'm sure Dwight will put this to good use. I looked over at Jim's computer and it was almost 75% of the way done. I looked through the desk and didn't really find anything useful in it. Mostly supplies were in the drawers. Nothing of real importance.

I turned on Crystal's computer and as I waited for it to boot up I called Dwight.

"Dwight O'Toole."

"Hey Dwight, it's Tony. I found Jim's killer and have all the evidence you need to get a conviction. You need to get a search warrant. Hold on a second, I think I heard something."

I could hear Dwight saying something into the phone, but I slipped the phone in my pocket and got up out of the chair. I made my way to the stairs and climbed them as quietly as I could. Just as I got to the top of the stairs I heard Beethoven coming from down in the basement very loudly. I turned to see where it was coming from...

"Rise and shine Sherlock."

I heard the crack of a whip and than a sharp agonizing pain shot across my chest. I felt blood trickling down from the gash it made on my chest. I opened my eyes and I saw Crystal in front of me with a whip in her hand. I was shackled naked to the torture rack by my hands and feet. I tried to get loose but there was no escaping this one.

"I'm so glad you're awake. You're going to pay for what you did to Reggie."

She hit me again with the whip right across my chest. I could feel my skin rip open where the whip hit me as I cried out in pain. I was gasping for breath and the pain was unbearable.

"I hope your happy now. Tonight was going to be a special night. Reggie was going to propose to me and you ruined it."

She walked out of my line of sight. I looked around the room and saw my clothes thrown across her bed and my gun out of the holster next to my clothes. The computer was still working on being restored. I must have been out for only a few minutes. Beethoven could be heard coming from her computer. I strained as hard as I could against my restraints but they didn't budge. I didn't know how much more I could take.

Crystal came back into my view with a lit candle in her hand. She had a sadistic smile as she tipped the candle over my chest and hot wax poured down into one of the welts from the whip. The pain was excruciating. My body tensed up and I bit my lip trying not to cry out. I was not going to give her the satisfaction.

"You like that, don't you Tony G? You're a sick son of a bitch."

She tilted the candle over my chest letting little droplets of hot wax come down on me. Never in the same spot. She enjoyed giving me pain. I could tell by the look in her eyes. She was insane. My breathing was shallow and my ribs were throbbing. As long as she was talking and torturing me then I still had a chance. When she decided she had enough, I knew she would kill me.

_"_ Reggie called me and told me you killed Michael and that you were after him. Reggie told me he was going to get out of town for a little while and he warned me that you might come here. I had someone watching my house for me. Imagine my surprise when I got a call saying you were here. I know you're just doing your job, but you should have just left it alone. Your going to tell me who hired you and then I can fix my Reggie's problems and everything will be back to normal."

I barked out a laugh.

"Your delusional. Reggie killed Michael and lied to you. He doesn't love you. You're a whore. His property. Nothing more. He will never marry you."

Crystal's nostrils flared with anger and she poured hot wax all over my genitals. The pain was unbearable and I must have blacked out. I came to with a gag in my mouth. Crystal was sitting on the bed doing something with Jim's computer. I could still hear Beethoven playing in the background. My whole body was wracked with pain and I couldn't breath. She noticed I was awake and brought Jim's computer over to me. She faced it towards me and hit play on a video that was cued up. The sound was off but the picture was of high quality. Crystal was standing next to Jim's body and he was slumped on the couch. She held up his hand with the gun in it. She put the gun to Jim's temple and squeezed his finger so it would pull the trigger. Then she let go of his arm and walked into his office. After about a minute the screen went blank.

"You're such a clever man Tony. I thought I erased this. Jim was asking for it. It's a shame really. I liked Jim and he was great in bed. But I couldn't have him talk to the police and send my poor Reggie to jail. No child should have to grow up without a father."

She went back to the bed and put the computer down. She picked up my gun and looked at it for a minute and then put it back down. She picked up her phone and made a call.

"Hey baby. I have a present for you."

She had a big smile on her face as she paced in front of me listening to the phone. She turned and looked at me.

"Tony Gavel. Yup. I have him shackled and gagged on my rack right now. I will take care of him and then you can come home."

She stopped pacing and her face turned serious. I could tell she was getting angry with what he was saying.

"But you need to come home. I was going to tell you tonight in person, but you're going to be a daddy. Aren't you happy baby?"

She looked at me with hate filled eyes. If I were a betting man I would say that Reggie was telling her she is crazy or deluded something along those lines. She hung up the phone and picked up my gun. She walked to me slowly, stopping every few steps and looked down at the gun then back up at me. Crystal was standing inches from me and I could see tears in her eyes. She pressed the gun against my head.

"It's your fault. If you hadn't come into our lives none of this would have happened."

I had no strength left in me. The pain from my cracked ribs added with the torture left me drained. I knew this was it. I would finally get to see Mary again and tell her I was sorry. I closed my eyes and held my breath.

Nothing happened.

I couldn't feel the gun pressing into my head anymore. I slowly opened one eye and saw Crystal sitting on the bed again. I opened the other eye so I could get a good view of what was happening. Crystal was crying on the bed watching the video of Jim Cooper's death.

"He's wrong you know. It must be all the stress that you have caused him today. He doesn't know what he is saying. I'm sure if I kill you he will come back home and we will be happy together. Why doesn't he see that? I did everything for him, if only he knew. The beatings, bribery, Jim's death. Everything to keep him from going to jail. We were going to be happy together."

I heard sound coming from the stairs and I turned my head. I saw Dwight creeping down the stairs with his gun drawn. He saw me and gave a shushing motion with his hand. I looked over towards the bed and then back at Dwight. I did that a few times hoping he would understand. Dwight looked towards the bed and gave me thumbs up. I looked back at Crystal and her back was to us, watching the video. She had no idea Dwight was in the room.

Dwight made it across the room with his gun trained on Crystal.

"Put the gun down Miss Dia."

Dwight kept moving towards her as he spoke. Crystal turned at the sound of someone's voice and looked shocked that Dwight was in the house. She quickly got up and turned the gun on Dwight, but Dwight was quicker and pulled the trigger. Crystal cried out in pain and dropped my gun as she fell to the floor, blood gushing from her leg. Dwight closed the distance and kicked my gun across the floor. He pushed Crystal to the ground and handcuffed her.

More police came running down the stairs at the sound of a gunshot. I just looked at Dwight and tried to smile with the gag in my mouth and closed my eyes.

I came to in the hospital. My ribs were wrapped and my burns were cleaned up and bandaged. Dwight was sitting in the chair next to my bed and smiled when he saw I was awake.

"You scared me for a while Tony. How many times do I have to tell you to stop with that cowboy shit? If you hadn't called me you'd be dead right now."

I had to smile at Dwight's words.

"I'm doing fine. Thanks for asking."

Dwight let out a laugh.

"I'm sure you are with the pain killers they have pumping through your body."

I looked at the IV in my arm and nodded.

"I don't feel any pain right now. How did you know where I was?"

Dwight moved the chair closer to the bed.

"It was a good thing you didn't hang up your phone when you called me. I heard a zap, and then heard you falling down the stairs. You're lucky the phone didn't break. I was able to trace it. I was at Reggie's house when you called. I knew you would be at one of the addresses that you gave me. I just didn't know which one. I heard her dragging your body as I was driving. Then after a few minutes all I could really hear was Beethoven playing."

"That's when she probably got me undressed and left the phone in my jacket across the room. What about Crystal?"

"Miss Dia is here. She'll be fine. I shot her in the leg. We got all the evidence from the house. Between her journal and the video she will be going away for life, not counting the arson and Bob's murder as well. She is very disturbed. You're lucky to be alive."

I closed my eyes and relaxed. The drugs coursing through my veins relieved me of all the pain I received over the last day. It felt wonderful. Jim Cooper's murder was brought to justice. The case was solved. I'm sure Merissa Talbert will be happy with the news when I talk to her. I opened my eyes.

"What about Reggie? Did you find him?"

Dwight frowned.

"Not yet. We picked up the guy whose phone number you gave me, but he says he knows nothing."

I nodded.

"Crystal knows where he is though. She called him right before you came into the basement. She's pregnant with his child."

"Don't worry about it. We'll find him. I'm going to keep a car patrolling your neighborhood and watching his properties for a while to see if he comes back. I doubt he will though. Now get some rest. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Dwight got up and was heading out of the room.

"Hey Dwight."

Dwight stopped and turned.

"Thanks for saving my ass back there. I owe you."

Dwight just smiled and walked out of the room.
Saturday Morning-The Reveal

I woke up and looked at the clock. It was close to 8am. I pulled the IV out of my arm and got up. My clothes were neatly folded in a drawer along with my gun and keys to Fat Boy with a note telling me where it was parked. I got dressed and grabbed my jacket off the door. I wanted to get out of here before the nurses came back so I wouldn't be stuck in the hospital all day. I was fine. Nothing that a few weeks of rest wouldn't fix. I made it out to the parking lot and called Merissa.

"Hello Mrs. Talbert, it's me Tony. I'm heading over if that's ok with you. I have good news for you."

"Sure. Did you catch Jim's killer?"

She sounded tired.

"I'll talk to you in about a half hour."

"Ok, I'll be waiting for you."

I pulled into Merissa Talbert's driveway close to 9am. There was no sign of Anthony's car. Merissa was waiting for me in the doorway. She had that ragged look about her, as if she hadn't slept in days.

I tried to give her a reassuring smile as I walked up the steps.

"Good morning Merissa. As I said on the phone, I have good news for you. May I come in?"

Merissa walked into the house and I followed her in and closed the door. She headed into the living room and sat on the couch and I sat myself down next to her.

"Did you catch Jim's killer?" she asked me. Tears welling up in her eyes.

I gave her a big grin. "Yes we did. She is in custody right now in the hospital."

Merissa looked elated and confused at the same time. "She? A woman killed Jim? For what reason?"

"Let me start at the beginning and I'll explain everything."

Merissa got up and started walking to the mini bar in the corner of the room. "Would you like something to drink before you start?" She asked me as she pulled out a bottle of Vodka and poured herself a glass.

I shook my head. "No thanks."

I waited for her to sit down and I began. "Mooch is a low life pimp, bookie, loan shark and fence. It seems your husband has been placing bets with Mooch for a long time and owed Mooch quite a bit of money. In order to stay ahead of the game and not get himself killed, Anthony offered Mooch a few storage units for him to put some of his stolen goods and other things that people gave to him due to their gambling debts. This has been going on for some time now and Jim found out about the units."

Merissa had a shocked expression on her face and took a gulp of her drink as I was talking.

"Jim confronted Anthony about his gambling problems a few times from what I could gather and last Tuesday he gave Anthony an ultimatum at the Stadium Sports Bar. Straighten up your act or he was going to tell you everything. He gave him one week to fix the problem. I'm not sure if you knew, but Jim was a frequent user of Mooch's call girls. One night last week he got drunk with one of the girls and told her about the problem that Mooch was causing with his business and Anthony."

Merissa was horrified about the news that Jim used hookers. "I never knew he used hookers. I thought he was very happy with the arrangement we had."

"I am sure there are quite a few things you did not know about Jim."

Merissa took another sip of her drink and I continued.

"On Friday afternoon, Jim and Anthony came to blows and Jim came home with a bloody nose. That's when he called you to confirm your meeting. He was going to tell you everything. When he got out of the shower, Mooch came to his house to confront him about what he knew about the storage units and to warn him to back off."

"So did Mooch have him killed?" Merissa asked.

"No, when Mooch left the house Jim was still alive. About an hour later someone else came to Jim's house. It was one of Mooch's girls, Crystal. She found out about Jim and Anthony's fight a few days before and planned on killing Jim to protect Mooch. She showed up Friday evening and used a stun gun on him and dragged him to the couch. She got Jim's gun out of the office and put it in his hands and pulled the trigger."

Merissa was visibly shaken and finished the rest of her drink as the tears flowed down her cheeks. "Poor Jim. He didn't deserve any of this. He was just looking out for me. Why did she do it Mr. Gavel?"

"After she killed him, she went into Jim's office and wiped out all record of anyone coming to the house from Thursday on. Jim recorded everyone walking into his house and had it stored on his laptop in his office. Then she wrote the three love letters and put them on the table to make it look like a suicide. Jim liked to talk about his conquests and Crystal knew about the affair and figured it would be perfect."

"But why? Why kill Jim over storage units?"

"Crystal thought she was protecting Mooch. She loved him and didn't want him to go to jail. She figured with Jim out of the way, no one would be coming after Mooch. She hadn't counted on you hiring me to find his killer. She underestimated you."

Merissa stood up and began pacing around the room. "So how did you catch her if she erased all evidence of being there?"

"She had one of her clients, Bob Caster, steal the laptop. When I found out he worked for crystal I was able to get into her house and find the laptop. I was able to restore the deleted files from the computer and had the videos of the crime among other various types of evidence. I called my friend Dwight and he arrested her. Bob Caster was killed by Crystal also, to shut him up. Mooch unfortunately left town before they could arrest him."

Merissa slumped back down on the couch and put her head between her legs and began crying again.

"All of this because my asshole husband couldn't control his gambling habits?"

I took a tissue from the box on the table and handed it to her and nodded.

"Jim found out about the whole thing and wanted to protect you. He was going to tell you everything Friday evening. He really did love you."

Merissa took the tissue and wiped away the tears. She stood up and hugged me.

"Thank you Mr. Gavel. I can never repay you enough. At least Jim will be able to rest in peace with his killer now in jail."

"I'm glad I was able to help. Is there anything else you need from me?"

She stepped away from me and shook her head.

"No, I will be fine. I just need to sort this all out. I thank you again Mr. Gavel."

I nodded. "I will send you a bill with all the details of my findings and expenses. If you ever need me again for something, you know my number. I am sorry for your loss Mrs. Talbert."

Merissa sat back down on the couch and I let myself out of her house.

I got on Fat Boy and started her up. I took out my phone before I left.

"Hey Dwight, I'm heading out to the cabin to recuperate for a week. I'll be back in time for the party. Don't call me."

Dwight laughed into the phone.

"Don't worry, I won't. Enjoy your vacation. I'll keep an eye on your house and Milo for you."

"Thanks Dwight."

I hung up the phone. Just what I needed. A week away from Big City in my cabin. I'm looking forward to the peace and quiet of Red Valley Falls. Nothing ever happens up there.

# The End

