24

 

 

 

HAIR

 

 

 

Danny and Erik walked the crime scene while the forensic guys worked around them.

They were planning how to track the dealer named Dumartin Kingston, a man everyone called Jangle, when Riddeaux gave them the call. The timing was bad but they had no choice but to go. Officially, they were not on a case, until now.

Kraven Green had been shot once in the back of the head. He was slumped over a table, his half eaten bologna sandwich and Faygo Redpop still on the table. There was no sign of a struggle. The only thing that was unusual was Green had two 55’ flat screens and the place was freezing cold.

It was a criminal house, Danny thought. Nice leather furniture, nothing on the walls, and expensive electronic equipment. If he looked in the fridge, there would be beer, fast food containers and little else. The bathroom would be grungy, the towels mismatched and in some closet, there would be a collection of pristine, high-end sneakers.

Danny knew why Riddeaux had given them the case. Even though she had gotten out of their way, someone was trying to keep them as busy as possible.

“We can move him now,” said Fiona to the morgue guys. “I like this killer,” she said to Danny. “He pumps up the air to keep the body fresh for us.”

“There are four window air conditioners in here,” said Danny. “The victim was keeping it cold for something else.”

“Question is what,” said Erik.

“He was into something perishable,” said Danny.

“A meat thief maybe,” said Fiona laughing.

“Boss?” said a forensic tech. “We got something under him here.”

They all walked over and looked. Under the corpse, was a blood-soaked hair extension. It was jet black and still had a tag tied to it.

“What in the hell is that?” said Fiona.

“Damn,” said Danny and Erik almost at the same time.

“Come on,” said Erik whipping out his cell phone. He and Danny headed for the door.

“Where you two going?” asked Fiona. “You solved this one already?”

“Yes,” said Danny. “Just now, we think.”

“We might know who did it but we gotta move fast,” said Erik.

“I’d love to hear how you solved a murder in twenty minutes,” said Fiona.

“You remember the crew of thieves who were stealing high-end weave pieces from around town?” asked Danny.

“Yeah,” said Fiona. “I’m still laughing about it.”

“Well, we ran into a strip club owner who buys from them,” said Erik. “If they killed this guy, then they are stocked.”

“Dammit,” said Danny. “Baker reached out to me a day ago, but I was too busy with other things, you know.”

“No sweat,” said Erik. “Let’s get to it.”

“Never heard this one before,” said Fiona. “Good luck.”

Danny and Erik quickly left the crime scene and headed to Apples. Danny called their intentions in to their boss and set up a team for apprehension at the strip club.

Erik was on the phone with Baker, the owner of Apples. Erik told him they were coming and he would have to reach out to the hair thieves. Baker readily agreed.

“I saw Przybylski, the Mayor’s aide, having an argument with the Rashindah Watson’s aunt at the courthouse,” Danny said when Erik was off the phone.

“What?” said Erik. “What the heck is that about?”

“Don’t know yet. They were kind of far away. Didn’t hear anything.”

There was silence as each of them assessed this information to the case, not the murder of Kraven Green but the case which they had never stopped investigating.

“You think the old lady killed her niece?”

“No, but maybe she knows the Mayor had something to do with it and Przybylski was sent to bribe her, shut her up.”

“You should pay her another visit.”

“I will. But after this case is done, I’m back on Jangle,” said Danny.

“I been meaning to talk to you about that,” said Erik. “If there’s some new player out there, how the hell can he keep track of an entire city?”

“As far we know it’s just the east side.”

“That’s still a lot of real estate.”

“Maybe it’s more than one guy,” said Danny. “I’m not sure but Salah contacted this kid and he seemed to think the kid knew how to get to iDT. Or maybe the kid is iDT.”

“This shit is making my head hurt,” said Erik.

“I know it’s a little out there,” said Danny, “but the pieces are at least clear. Someone killed Rashindah but let her friend go. The friend is tortured and killed by a dealer who might work for this iDT. I shoot him and there’s a rush to close the case. But I find the goods on the Mayor’s connection to the dead girl and all hell breaks loose. I track the death back to iDT and he’s warned that I’m coming. Then I see Patterson’s chief aide is connected to the dead girl’s aunt. No matter how I look at it, all roads lead back to the Mayor.”

“My head’s still hurting,” said Erik. “But I see your point. The man’s dirty somehow.”

“I just can’t believe it was some kind of lovers’ fight. This is a lot bigger.”

They arrived at Apples and were greeted by Baker, who told them that the thieves always met him out of his back office. There were two men who drove a dark van. Baker took them all to the room and they waited.

“Think your new girlfriend would like some of this stolen hair?” asked Danny in a low voice.

“Damn, it is that obvious I’m getting’ some again?” said Erik.

“To me it is,” said Danny. “So, who is she?”

“Young girl I met at church.”

“Church? You?” Danny laughed. “Get out of here.”

“Church is the best place to meet a woman. They’re looking, motivated and most of the men there are married or gay.”

“Vinny’s sisters say that all the time.”

“Well, we’re doing it but that’s all. She’s too young for me. I need a real woman.”

Danny didn’t say anything. He was happy for Erik and he had his hands full with his own life.

An hour and a half later, the hair thieves arrived. They drove up in a black van that was tricked out and had blacked-out windows.

Danny, Erik, and Baker watched the thieves approach. Erik signaled their uniformed back up to close in.

They’d agreed earlier that Baker would be arrested with the thieves so that there would be no retribution.

Danny was surprised to see Shera, the mouthy girl who lived at Rashindah Watson’s place get out of the van. She was wearing a short skirt and a sheer top. She was with two black men. One was thin and snaky looking. He had long braids, which looked meticulous. He carried a big suitcase. The other was your standard muscle, huge and dumb looking.

“You didn’t tell us there was a girl,” said Danny.

“Never seen her before,” said Baker. “It’s usually just the other two.”

Shera walked close to the snaky man, signaling her link to him. She was obviously sleeping with that one, Danny thought. This explained her nice hair.

“Hey, isn’t that—“

“Yes,” said Danny. “The girl from the fire.”

Danny and Erik left the office and waited just outside the door.

“If anyone’s armed, it’s the big one,” said Danny. “He won’t come inside with the others.”

“Right,” said Erik. He gave this information to the other cops.

Inside the office, Shera and the snaky man entered. The big guy stayed outside watching the van and it’s precious cargo.

“Hey, hey,” said the snaky man. “We here. What you need?”

“Who the hell is this?” asked Baker, referring to Shera. “I don’t need witnesses, man.”

Danny was suddenly proud of Baker. He was calm and now he was eliciting information. Baker didn’t ask for the man’s name but Danny remembered that names had never been used before.

“My new woman,” said the snaky man. “She fine, huh? Show him that ass, baby.”

Shera laughed and turned, showing Baker her curves.

“Can I get a job here?” asked Shera.

“You’re gonna have to show me a lot more than that,” said Baker.

“Not that kinda party,” said the snaky man. “She’s all mine.”

Danny heard something loud fall as the snaky man put the suitcase on a desk and opened it.

“Nice,” Baker said. “I’ll take the usual and let me get some of that red hair, too.”

“No problem,” said the snaky man.

“Here you go,” said Baker, and handed the snaky man some money.

Erik pulled his radio up. “It’s on,” he said. “We’re going in on this side.”

There was a commotion outside. Danny and Erik got a signal and then they burst into the room, guns out.

“Police!” Danny yelled.

“Hands where I can see them!” said Erik.

There was a shot from outside, but Erik and Danny kept their eyes on the three in front of them.

“Oh fuck me!” said Shera, recognizing Danny.

“On the ground, lay flat, hands on heads!” said Danny.

Baker hesitated as they had agreed and Erik shoved him to the floor.

A uniformed officer entered with her weapon out moments later.

“Big guy got off a shot, but no one was hit,” said the officer. “We got his gun and there’s one in the van.”

“If either of them match the bullet we took out of Kraven Green, all of you are going to jail for murder,” said Danny.

“I ain’t involved in that!” yelled Shera.

“Shut up, bitch!” said the snaky man.

Danny read them all their rights. Then he had the uniformed officers take them all away. Baker was taken too but he’d be released as soon as he got to the station.

“This has got to be a record,” said Erik. “Think we can get into Ripley’s for this?”

The thieves and Baker were loaded into a police van. The evidence was confiscated and the van dusted for prints.

As they were ready to roll out, they suddenly heard a din in the front of the place. Danny and Erik walked to the street and saw camera crews from the major channels at the front of the club.

“Who the fuck called them?” asked Erik.

Danny stopped short as he saw who the reporters were focusing on.

Tony Hill stood in front of a line of reporters. A couple other cops who were high-level officers flanked him. Riddeaux was conspicuous by her absence.

Danny and Erik walked closer but a cop who looked barely tall enough to be on the force, stopped them.

“Sorry guys,” said the small man. “The Chief gave orders for all the officers involved to stay in the back and finish the arrest.”

Danny and Erik stopped their advance. They were close enough to hear the press conference.

“Through normal procedure,” Tony said, “we have already made an arrest in the case. We don’t want anyone to think that the Mayor’s troubles will impede the workings of our city.”

Danny was surprised. The Chief himself had come out to grandstand for the embattled Mayor. He and Erik moved away from the small officer.

“Didn’t think he’d ever be turned,” said Erik.

“He isn’t,” said Danny. “He’s just playing along. He doesn’t have a choice.”

“Are you sure?” asked Erik. “He found out about our case, intercepts the call for back up and then alerts the news but doesn’t tell us.”

Danny didn’t answer. Suddenly, he wasn’t sure of anything. All around him, there were people who owed their careers to city power. That was a compelling reason to lie. He had the utmost respect for the Chief but he wondered if Tony Hill had been pushed to his limit.

They walked back into the club’s parking lot. The cops and the suspects should have been gone by now but, for some reason, they were still waiting.

“Detectives,” said the female uniformed officer.

“The girl wants to talk to you,” the officer pointed at Danny. “She’s screaming and carrying on like a crazy woman.”

“Get her out,” said Danny. “But be cool about it. Say it’s because she’s acting up.”

Shera was taken out of the van. She was walked over to Danny and Erik. The female officer left them.

“Make it good,” said Danny to Shera.

“I can’t go down like this,” said Shera. “They came and got me after they did what they did. I didn’t know what they was talking about but it all makes sense now.”

“You run with dogs, you know what happens,” said Danny. “The game is what it is.”

“Hair stealing should carry the death penalty in Detroit,” said Erik smiling.

“Okay, I know what I am but I ain’t no murderer,” said Shera. “Look, when y’all came to the fire, I didn’t tell you everything about Rashindah.”

Danny and Erik both perked up. Danny talked to the uniformed leader and then he went back to Erik and Shera.

“You can ride with us,” said Danny.

 

 



 

 

“Shindah had a stash at her place,” said Shera. “I knew about it but she didn’t know I knew. After her place was burned, I tried to get inside but I couldn’t, ‘cause it was a crime scene. Then that lowlife landlord threw some paint on it and put a tenant in there before I could do it.”

“Where is this stash?” asked Danny, “and what’s in it?”

“Y’all gonna let me go?”

“If it checks out,” said Erik. “And if it helps our case.”

“Please, I can’t go to jail. My mama will kill me.”

Erik chuckled and glanced at Danny who was thinking.

“We’re going to take you in,” said Danny, “and you’re going to tell us where this so-called stash is. If it’s cool, then I’ll call my prosecutor friends and ask them to get you out of this.”

Shera thought for just a second then spoke: “Okay. I’m gonna trust y’all. It’s in her bathroom. Her medicine cabinet pulls out and it’s behind there. I caught her doing it once. Don’t know what’s in there, though.”

“No one would have guessed that,” said Danny distantly.

They went to the precinct and processed Shera and made sure she was kept away from the others.

The snaky man whose name was James Danielson ratted out his partner, Elijah Henry, moments after being processed.

Henry, a multiple offender had immediately sworn that it was Danielson who killed Kraven Green. Neither one had mentioned Shera being present at the crime.

The sun had set by the time Danny headed home. It had been a long day and he was looking forward to some rest.

He vowed to get back on the case tomorrow but in truth, he was losing faith. He wasn’t sure who to trust anymore. Sometimes, he reasoned, maybe the bad guys got away with it.

Danny made the long drive home and went inside where he found Vinny in the dinning room buried in papers as usual.

“New case?” asked Danny.

“Yeah,” said Vinny. “Some rich asshole’s buying up vacant properties around the city but not paying the taxes. We have to defend him.”

“I got your texts but I never had time to respond,” said Danny.

“It’s okay. I was just trippin’ on the Mayor going to jail. He’s already out, you know.”

“I figured,” said Danny. “But the damage has been done.”

“Media manipulation of the jury pool, that Marshall’s good,” said Vinny. “Wouldn’t mind studying under him.”

Danny couldn’t help but hear the admiration in her voice. He also couldn’t stop the pang of jealousy he felt whenever she mentioned Marshall. He was a confident man, but in his heart, he’d always feel a little deficient to his friend.

Danny went into the kitchen and microwaved his dinner. Vinny loved to cook and often made meals in advance on the weekends. Tonight he was eating steak, potatoes and peas.

He filled Vinny in on his case as she worked. She was still fascinated by the job and stopped him every so often to ask a question. The story of the Chief’s grandstanding on the murder case made her mouth drop.

“So, did you call Tony?” asked Vinny.

“No. It feels like politics and it’s not relevant to my case.”

“You don’t think he’s dirty, do you?” asked Vinny.

“I’m not sure of anything right now,” said Danny. Only Vinny could ask this question and get him to respond. “So, tomorrow, after work, I get back to it,” said Danny. “I pick up whatever’s at Rashindah’s and then I lean on this Jangle to give up iDT.”

“Easier said than done, I bet,” said Vinny.

Danny yawned, feeling exhausted. Vinny planned to be up late and so he went to bed.

 

 



 

 

Danny’s sleep was fitful. He didn’t dream so much as he had flashes of roving images: Bevia beating her son, Husam Salah smugly standing over the dead body of Rashindah Watson and lines and lines of text from the Mayor’s messages to her.

The world had changed so much over the last few years. Technology had moved us away from each other physically, but it had brought the dirt and evil of our capacities closer than ever.

He was awakened hours later, he saw a blurry Vinny standing over him holding her gun.

“Shh!” she said whispering. “Neighborhood Watch just called.”

Danny got out of bed, pulled on his clothes and grabbed his Glock. With Vinny armed, he would only use the single gun.

“What did they say?” asked Danny, shaking the cobwebs from his head.

“They saw a car driving up and down the streets.”

Danny checked the clock. It was past one in the morning. A thief would think they were asleep.

“I want you to say here,” said Danny. “Call the cops. I’m going to hide outside.”

“Like hell,” said Vinny. “And I already called the police.”

“You’re pregnant. Did you forget that?”

Vinny just shook her head.

“Okay, stay behind me, then,” said Danny.

They turned out the light and Danny went out the back door into the backyard. If a thief was coming, he would probably come from the back.

The yard was clear. Only a porch light threw a dim illumination on the scene. Vinny and Danny moved into adjacent dark corners. Neither had to say anything. They’d been police partners once and it all came back easily.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps and a man entered the yard. He was thick bodied and dressed in dark clothes. He went to their back door and tried it.

Danny and Vinny began to move forward, taking care to watch where they stepped. Danny had neglected to put on shoes. The ground was hard and cold beneath his feet.

The intruder found the door locked. He began to move around to the side of the home, looking for entry. When his back was turned, Danny and Vinny positioned themselves at angles to avoid hitting each other.

“Don’t move!” said Danny.

The intruder stopped. His hands were by his sides.

“Get those hands up right now!” Danny commanded.

“You heard the man,” said Vinny.

Still the intruder didn’t move. Danny felt Vinny tense next to him. Something wasn’t right. This man was caught cold but he did not run nor did he seem to want to surrender. Danny’s head filled with alarm.

This was no thief.

The man turned quickly, reaching for something. He pulled a gun as Danny and Vinny both fired at him, filling the night with sound and bursts of light.

The intruder was hit and Danny saw the gun fly from his hand as his body hit the ground. The intruder twitched a moment and then he didn’t move.

“Vinny, you okay?” asked Danny.

“I’m good,” she said. “He didn’t get off a round.”

Lights were coming on around them. Danny went to the man. He wore a stocking over his face. Danny pulled it up. He was white and looked to be forty or so. He’d been hit in the head and chest and he was not breathing.

“He’s dead,” said Danny. “I’m betting he has no ID or anything on him or in his car.” Danny focused again on the man’s face then recognition hit him. “Shit, I think know this guy,” said Danny looking closer at the man. “I know him!” Danny said with more urgency.

“Who is he?” Vinny took a step toward the corpse.

“I don’t got a name yet and he’s older and fatter but I’m pretty sure I put him away. You never forget them.”

“Jesus,” said Vinny. “Jesus.”

They looked at each other in the darkness as they heard police vehicles approach in the front.

“Danny, who do you think…”?

“Don’t say anything,” said Danny. “As far as we know this was a robbery attempt at the wrong house.”

Danny called to the police who entered the back yard with lights and weapons.

Danny and Vinny surrendered their weapons as the police took over and the neighbors came out to watch.

As he gave his statement, Danny thought about the evil implications of this. Someone wanted him off the case permanently and they didn’t care if they killed Vinny or their baby.

Danny glanced at Vinny calmly talking to an officer, her hands absently clasped tightly over her belly.

This was no longer just an investigation, he thought, it was a war. Everyone was always cautioning him to be calm, to hold back. But that rule was now forfeit. Now, he was coming after them.