Stacey Page 6

  “I understand that, Iris, but you’re talking about cold blooded murder here.”

  "No, you do not understand, miss perfect 'cause if you did, you would help me."

  "I love you, and I will not let you—"

  Lt. Stone walked up to their cubicle, stopping their conversation cold. He looked at Iris, then at Toni. "Is everything o. k., ladies?"

  "No problem here, sir," Iris said.

  "Everything's good, Lieutenant."

  "Liars," Stone shot back at them. "There will be no sleep tonight, ladies." He gave Iris a slip of paper. “Looks like somebody’s copying Daniel Lewis's work. The body of the newly appointed D.A of Manhattan was found murdered in her apartment. Make this priority one, ladies.”

  The two detectives argued all the way to the crime scene. "You're unconscionable," Toni said.

  "And you're a freakin’ wuss."

  At 5th Avenue and 108th Street, Iris ran into a police barricade. She haphazardly parked her vehicle and became a part of a maze of News vans, EMS vehicles, and patrol cars. As she removed the key from the ignition, Toni stared at her. "Iris, please don't do anything that will jeopardize your career." Toni had placed her hand on top of Iris’ shoulder. At Toni's touch, Iris felt emotions stirring from deep within her. Deep down she knew Toni was right; she knew killing Salsa was wrong, but she also knew that killing him would ease the tension between her and her sister and restore some harmony in her life. Iris gazed into Toni's eyes, but didn't say a word.

  "Whatcha got, Officer," Iris said to a middle-aged policeman; there were two standing in front of 1255 5th Avenue.

  “We’ve got the newly appointed D.A. of Manhattan, Jenna Diaz, dead in her apartment on the seventh floor.” The elevator was full, so Iris and Toni took the stairs. Iris took two steps at a time until she reached the seventh floor; Toni was close behind. Despite their disagreement, Detectives Iris Williams and Annette Toni were civil to one another as soon as they reached the landing. "Toni, you go check for witnesses on this floor; someone might've seen something." Then she turned and entered the apartment of the late Jenna Diaz.

  Chapter 17

  AS SOON AS IRIS ENTERED the apartment, a tech handed her a pair of slip-on paper booties and a pair of latex gloves. The first thing she noticed was a female technician dusting the window frame in the kitchen for prints. Iris asked her if she'd gotten lucky. The tech shook her head, no. A medium size circular hole decorated the window pane right above the latch; shattered glass lay on the floor beneath the window.

  Iris walked into a neat and well-furnished living room. A beautiful cream-colored carpet covered the floor. She entered the bedroom.

  Jenna Diaz’s body had been tied to a vertical steam pipe, and Her arms were stretched high above her head; her back faced the detectives. The victim stood on the tips of her toes; contusions covered her entire back. On parts of Jenna Diaz's back, deep grooves were made; her right hand was missing all its fingers. "Hey, Tish, whatcha got?"

  "Oh hi, Williams."

  Iris dropped to one knee. "What're you looking at?"

  "Check this out. Our perp etched something on her left butt cheek."

  "Is it in English?"

  "Yes. I think it is." The young technician tilted her head so that she could read the words: "No... no time... no time for young folks," the tech said.

  "What?" Iris tilted her head also. "I'll be Goddamned," she muttered. Toni entered the room. Iris looked over her shoulder. "Toni, come check this out."

  Toni kneeled next to her partner and read the note etched on Jenna Diaz's left butt cheek. " Oh my God, Billy!" she said, looking at Iris. “He used those same words when he attacked Tina Ming... no time for young folks.” Iris was staring into space. "What is it, Iris? You look like you're trying to remember something."

  "I've heard those words before." Iris rubbed her hand along her chin trying to remember "I got it. When me and Taylor were working the Twins case we visited a victim by the name of Times. You remember her? Her daughter had been attacked by a sadistic rapist and savagely beaten.”

  “Yes, I remember,” Toni said as she stared at the body of Jenna Diaz.

  “She said that her attacker said those same words.”

  "How long was she hanging like that?" Toni said.

  "Seven hours at least." Tish replied.

  A male technician held up two brown paper bags. "This crime scene is a techie's dream," he said, smiling. "We've collected semen samples from all over this bedroom. We've got hair fibers, too, but I don't think they're human." Iris could tell that the young technician was new to the job; his enthusiasm was making her sick. "There's a safe in here covered in prints. I dusted the whole thing, Detective," he said to Iris with all the zeal of a wide-eyed teenager who'd just scored a touchdown in the big game.

  "O.k., o.k... calm down."

  Iris walked over to Toni. "Freakin' Billy, the delivery guy. You know we're gonna need more evidence?"

  "I know—" Just then, Iris’s cellphone went off. She checked the number, then she excused herself. Iris turned her back to Toni and took a few steps away from her. After her phone call, she told Toni that she had something to do and that they should have dinner tonight. Iris placed her hand on Toni's shoulder.

  "O.k., but where are you going?" Iris rubbed Toni's arm, and for the first time in days Iris smiled at her; Toni smiled back.

  "There's something I gotta do," Iris said as she made her way toward the door. “I'll call you tonight.”

  Chapter 18

  IN THE BACK OF A BUILDING on West 149th Street, between Amsterdam and Broadway, Billy Madison was rummaging through mounds of filth that would gag a maggot. For Billy Madison digging through the foul, nauseating muck of garbage was fun. Billy wiped the back of his hand across his forehead and continued his manic search.

  He busted open a bag and removed a rotten head of cabbage, two shitty diapers, some used sanitary napkins, and a concoction of foul smelling organic matter that even a harden sanitation worker wouldn't touch. But this didn't bother Billy Madison. He was interested in finding one thing, and he would continue his twisted scavenger hunt until he found what he was looking for.

  He'd performed this hunt every night. Last night Billy was walking along Riverside Drive when he spotted a man and a woman having sex inside a black Explorer. He sat down on one of the wooden benches (about four car lengths away) and waited....

  Billy pulled open another plastic garbage bag, forced his hand inside and pulled out a handful of guck. Before he disregarded the slime, he saw it—a semen-filled condom.

  Chapter 19

  TWO DAY LATER TONI still wondered if Iris had killed Salsa. The way Iris ran away from the Jenna Diaz crime scene the other day made Toni nervous. Iris hadn't said a word about it, and Toni left it at that.

  Iris and Casper came through the door, laughing, Toni watched Iris closely. For the past two days, Iris seemed... happy, which made Toni even more nervous, knowing Iris’ temperament.

  "Williams, Toni, in my office!" Lt. Stone shouted. The noise from the construction crew outside his window was loud. "Have a seat, ladies." Stone walked over to the window and shook his head as he stared down at the construction crew, then he sat in his swivel chair and folded his hands on his lap. "If you two don't know, I'm catching hell from the boy’s upstairs. The chief has his foot so far up my ass that I can taste the shoe polish on his shoe. I need his foot out of my ass, ladies. Women all over the city are arming themselves. A middle-aged woman on Lenox and 116th Street shot and killed her granddaughter whom she thought was breaking into her apartment; the little girl lived with her grandmother. She'd lost her key and was just trying to get back into the apartment through the window. Another woman shot her husband in the face when he tried to surprise her for her birthday. I don't have to go on 'because I know you all watch the news." Stone stared into the grim faces of his two top detectives.

  "But thank God," Iris said. "Because we've caught a break in the case." Lt. Stone rubbed his
bald head and rolled his chair closer to his desk. "I wanted to get it all straighten out before I brought this info to you, boss," Iris said. "There were two different samples of DNA found at the scene. Plus, they found some dog hairs in the kitchen and bedroom."

  "Dog hairs? What kind of dog hairs?" He asked.

  Toni flipped open her notepad. "A Chesapeake Bay Retriever, a Golden Retriever, An English Setter, and a German Shepard."

  "Does our prep work at pet shop?"

  Iris looked at her partner, "We don't think so, sir."

  “Raymond Johnson jumped on this thing quick, sir,” Toni said.

  Iris looked at her boss, then passed him a manila envelope. “Salsa!” she said.

  Stone stared at the drug dealer’s mug shot.

  "His semen was found in the D.A.'s mouth and his fingerprints were all over a safe that was found in the closet. Apparently, he and Jenna Diaz were in a relationship."

  “So, she and Salsa were romantically involved?” Stone asked. "Who was the other person with him?"

  “They might’ve been romantically involved. The other person's DNA was Judge Richard Evans?

  “Who!" Stone said, flabbergasted. "How could...?" Stone's word drifted in the air as he stared at the Judge's photo. “There were rumors that the judge was on Salsa's payroll,” Stone finally said. "I'll be damned,” Stone went through the rest of the pictures. There was a photo of the Judge and Jose Salsa Vega on a beach with two young ladies.

  "The FBI was conducting their own investigation on Salsa Vega. These were taken in Santo Domingo," Iris said.

  Stone shook his head. “I’ve never would’ve guessed.

  “I would've,” Iris said. "All those bastards are corrupt, freakin' criminal justice system is run by criminals..." Iris took a deep breath. "Judge Evans was picked up and arraigned last night. This morning he paid the two-million-dollar bond. I want this Salsa guy,” Iris said. Lt. Stone stood up and walked around his desk. He stopped in front of his flowers. "This guy Salsa is dangerous, and he keeps an army around him—"

  "I'm dangerous, too," Iris said, cutting her boss off. "And I also keep an army around me, too, and his name is Casper."

  Iris and Toni stood up to leave when Stone's cell phone went off. "When...? O.k., thanks." Lt. Stone sat back in his swivel chair. “Salsa was found shot to death in an apartment building on West End Ave.; must've been gang related. ME said that he'd been dead for about two days.”

  When Iris and Toni’s tour was over, Toni asked Iris if she would like to spend the night at her place. The detectives hadn't been together, sexually, for two days.

  Iris and Toni made love off and on all night. When Iris drifted off to sleep, Toni got up and sat in the bay window. She stared at Iris. Was that the reason she's been so... happy these past couple of days? She couldn't shake the feeling that her partner had killed Salsa. Toni had promised herself that she would never ask Iris about Salsa's death. Something else was bothering her, the whole Salsa and Judge Evans thing did not fit. The two of them collaborating in a murder?

  Iris stirred and mumbled. “What are you doin' over there? Come back to bed.” She turned over and went back to sleep.

  Toni went back to her musing. Salsa did not fit the profile of a sadistic murderer. Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder, yes, but sadistic murderer? She shook her head. "It just doesn't fit." Then she thought about what Tina Ming had told her about Billy Madison...'No time for young folks'. Toni looked over at Iris who was snoring lightly. She knew that if her hunch was right it would exonerate Salsa, and Iris wouldn't like that even if Salsa was dead, she wouldn't like that not one little bit, Toni thought. Billy's responsible; he's our killer. “I'll gather all the evidence first, then I'll present it to her. She can't deny hard, concrete evidence,” Toni said to herself. She looked at her girlfriend again. Toni walked back over to the bed, crawled in, and kissed Iris on the shoulder. "I hope you still love me when this is over."

  "Huh..." Iris murmured as she pulled the covers over her head.

  Chapter 20

  TONI HAD AWAKENED AFTER only three hours of sleep. She jumped out of Iris’ bed and ambled into the bathroom. Before she'd left Iris’ apartment, Toni left Iris a note: Got to see some people. Call you later. Toni's first stop was to 35 Sutton Place, the apartment of Judge Richard Evans. The judge's personal assistant came to the door after Toni had rung the bell four times. He led her down a short hallway, then into a large study. A giant Persian rug covered the entire floor. A statue of Alexander the Great stood in a corner, and a large bookcase covered the west wall; the room was semi dark. Judge Richard Evans sat with his back to Toni. He didn't hear when his assistant announced the detective. After the assistant had called out to him, for the second time, the judge spun his chair around. Judge Evans was wearing a five o'clock shadow. His thick, black, hair hadn't seen a comb in days. Judge Evans looked like hell. There was a bottle of Jack Daniels on his desk and liquor stains on his white tee-shirt.

  "Detective Annette Toni to see you, sir." The assistant pointed to a wingback chair. Toni stared at the judge. She didn't know him personally, but she'd seen him at the Manhattan Criminal Court Building on Centre Street. Toni always thought that the judge was a handsome man, but now he looked beaten. Judge Evans was thirty-five years old and one of the youngest judges in the city. His father was a supreme court judge, and everyone knew that's how the ambitious young Evans landed his current gig.

  "What the hell's going on with you, Judge?" Toni said furiously.

  The judge looked like a lost puppy. He waved his assistant out. Judge Evans leaned forward in his chair, placed his elbows on top of his knees, and buried his face in his trembling hands. "I didn't do it. I didn't kill that woman. I don't know what the hell is happening." He hoisted himself up from his chair and stumbled toward a mini-bar.

  "The FBI has photos of you hanging out with Salsa Vega. What's up with that?"

  The judge poured himself a drink and staggered back to his desk. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know anybody by that name..." The judge raised the glass to his lips, but before it got there Toni slapped it away, and the glass went flying out of his hands. "What the hell are you doing?" The judge looked at his lost drink, then he looked at Toni.

  " That’s right, look at me you piece of shit." Toni's blood was boiling in her veins. "I don't want to hear none of your bullshit, you got that?" Toni removed the photos from a manila envelope and threw them at the drunken judge. A couple of the pictures fell to the floor. Evans stared at the photos that he managed to catch, then he picked up the others. "Explain those, Judge!"

  "Please, you don't have to yell," he said as he looked at the pictures. "I... I can't..." Toni slammed her hand down on the judge's desk. His entire body started to shake. He got up and walked over to one of the bay windows in his office and looked out onto the street. "Let me put your mind at ease," Toni said as she walked over to where the judge was standing. "Jose Salsa Vega was killed two days ago, he can't hurt you now, Judge." Judge Thomas Evans looked in to the eyes of Detective Annette Toni, which made him feel uncomfortable; he looked at the floor.

  “Talk!” she shouted at the shaking judge.

  Judge Evans told Toni that he and Salsa had met three years ago. He told the detective that Salsa wanted to know how to donate to the P.B.A. "I gave him the information. But before we separated, he pushed an envelope into my pocket." The judge buried his face into his hands and shook his head. "I know I shouldn’t have taken the money, but I needed it.”

  "How much was it?"

  "One hundred thousand dollars." The judge stood up, walked over to the glass that Toni had knocked out of his hand, picked it up, and walked toward his minibar again. Toni stood in front of him. "No. Where were you two nights ago, around 11:00 pm?"

  "I... I was with a girl..." the judge stammered as he tried to walk around Toni.

  Toni blocked him again. "What's her name?" She removed a notepad and pen from he
r jacket pocket.

  "I... I can't remember her—"

  Toni grabbed the judge's robe and pulled him toward her. "I'm trying to save your shitty life, so don't you fucking lie to me..." Annette Toni had never used such profanity, but right now she seemed compelled to use it. "...do you understand me, Judge?"

  Thomas Evans nodded, then lowered his head. "You gotta believe me, Detective, I didn't kill that girl."

  "Your DNA was all over her, dammit," Toni sat back down and ran her hands through her hair. Judge Thomas Evans stood in front of the bay window; his back to Toni. "I didn't do it."

  Exasperated, Toni said: "What's her name, and tell me exactly what transpired.” The judge told Toni he had sex with the woman inside his car.

  "What did you do after that? Did you talk, or what?"

  "What do you want, a blow by blow?"

  "You're goddamn right. I want a freakin' blow by blow, and I want it now!" The judge told Toni that after he and his girlfriend were done, she’d climbed off him and he took the condom off and threw it out of the driver's side window, then he drove off. "You threw the condom out the window,” she echoed.

  "Yes, I threw it out..." The judge suddenly understood. "Are you suggesting that someone planted my... my semen at the scene?"

  "Did you see anyone hanging around?"

  "No... no I didn't—wait a minute," Judge Evans said. "I did notice a man."

  Toni's heart skipped a beat. "Where?"

  "As we were driving off I saw a man in my rearview mirror."

  "What was he doing? What was he wearing?"

  The judge thought for a moment.

  "Come on, Judge."

  Judge Thomas rubbed his hand along his five o'clock shadow. “l think he was dressed in black, it was dark, so..."