CHAPTER 91 Crime Scene


    Jack


    I grew up in Brook Haven… And never had I seen something like this before. It was


    gruesome.


    At the entrance of my neighborhood, a ck Honda was parked in the middle of the road. Two patrol


    cars, a white forensic investigation van and a medical examiner fleet vehicle were already a at the


    scene. The area was cordoned off from the public with yellow barricade tape.


    “What do we have here?” I asked the deputy in charge as I lifted the yellow tape so I could. enter the


    area. I looked down and saw two pools of blood.


    “Two male bodies. Cause of death, gunshot wound to the head. One has been identified as Anthony


    “Tony” Miller while the other is Dirk “The Jerk Harris. Tony’s younger brother, Johnny, was found dead


    on the floor in the living room of the Lawrence residence. Cause of death, gunshot wound to the head.


    There was no sign of force entry and Ms. Lawrence and her daughter Ma are no where to be found,”


    the deputy said, reading from his small


    writing pad.


    “Is Ms. Lawrence’s red truck in the driveway?” I asked.


    “Yep, including a brand new Jeep Cherokee. I heard Ma’s new boyfriend bought it for her, the deputy


    smirked.


    “You know who the boyfriend is?” I asked.


    “No. But no doubt them nosy neighbors of yours may know something,” he smirked again. I pped


    him on the chest with the back of my hand to stop his snickering. He coughed and pocketed his writing


    pad. “Sorry, Undersheriff.”


    “Have the forensics team collect the evidence then haul that car out of here. This is the only entrance


    into Brook Haven. I don’t want to inconvenience the residents,” I instructed. He nodded his head and


    walked away to oversee the crime scene.


    I ducked under the tape and entered my residential area. I muttered a curse under my breath, dislikingPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    the fact that I had to walk all the way to Ma’s house. As I approached, I could see the shing lights


    of patrol cars and I could hear the ruckus from the crowd. Although I was expecting a group of


    bystanders around Ma’s house, I didn’t would be a big assembly of curious onlookers.


    expect there


    1/6


    CHAPTER 91 Crime Scene


    910


    I pushed through the crowd, slowly making my way to the yellow barricade tape.


    Nothing could prepare me for what I saw. If I had thought the two bodies at the entrance to Brook


    Haven was bad, what I discovered here was way worse.


    A ck van with bullet holes on its windshield had smashed into themp post near the Lawrence


    Residence. Bodies from two cars parked along the street were being carried out in body bags by


    people from the medical examiner’s department. I turned my head towards Ma’s house and I noticed


    the lone figure of the Sheriff standing in front of two body bagsying at the doorway. I decided to


    check in with him first.


    As I crossed the Lawrence’s unkempt yard, I noticed the new Jeep Cherokee parked beside the


    Lawrence’s old truck. I felt envious.


    If I was only a girl…


    Sheriff, what’s the body count?” I asked as I walked up beside him. He turned to look at me and pursed


    his lips.


    “Two here, two in each of the cars and one in the van. Little Ray luckily came out unscathed. He was in


    the back of the van, hidden between the seats,” the Sheriff said.


    “At least we have a witness. Did he see anything?” I asked. Sheriff Combs shook his head.


    “No. The electricity went out and it was pitch ck,” he said.


    “Did he say why they were here in the first ce? Was he armed?” I asked, hoping for


    rity.


    for


    “He won’t answer any of my questions and yes, he had a gun. He says he wants awye Sheriff


    mumbled. He suddenly looked up at the sky as if he was praying to Go d for some direction.”We have


    two missing females, Jack. I can only specte, but this I can say


    certain… This wasn’t the work of an alcoholic woman and her frail daughter. All these dead men work


    for you know who. I need you to get me some answers from Little Ray. I have at feeling he’ll talk to


    you.”


    “Where is he?” I asked.


    “He’s in the back of my car. Be quick and be discreet.”


    I nodded my head and quickly turned to look for the Sheriff’s patrol car. I walked around the people


    working at their assigned areas and headed towards the vehicle which was parked a


    2/6


    CHAPTER 91 Crime Scene


    couple of houses away.


    I opened the door to the driver’s seat and entered the car. Little Ray, who was detained in the back


    seat, sat quietly, looking out the window. A wire grid partition separated the both of


    us.


    “I need answers, Little Ray, and I need them now. Why are all of you here at Ma’s house? You guys


    know she’s under my protection. She’s like a little sister to me. I even drive her to work sometimes,” I


    said.


    “I want awyer,” he said gruffly. I turned around and looked at him. Little Ray Thomas and Ma were


    the same age and were schoolmates in high school. He was thin, with dark brown hair, brown eyes and


    a protruding Adam’s apple. I heard he was nning to go to college since he and his parents were


    earning enough from peddling drugs. What I didn’t know is that he had branched out to be one of


    Pete’s men.


    “Alright. From the way I see it, you were found armed where seven people are found dead and two


    women are missing. That’s life imprisonment from where I’m sitting,” I reasoned.


    “I didn’t kill anyone, Jack. When Mason and Lewis didn’t check in with Topher, Topher asked me to


    come with him to check it out, that’s all,” Little Ray admitted quickly.


    “What were Mason and Lewis doing here in the first ce? I know you know something. If you want me


    to help you, you have got to give me something, I negotiated. He closed his


    es and hit his head against the back seat. He was probably debating whether or not to tell


    eyes


    me.


    “Fine,” he finally eximed. “The guys were holding Ms. Lawrence as leverage,” he spit out.


    “Leverage? For what?” I asked.


    na


    “So Ma wouldn’t put up a fight. Riley and his crew… they were supposed to deliver Ma to the


    boss. That’s all I know,” Little Ray said, lowering his head-in shame.


    “You were in the back of the van, right?” I asked


    “Yes.”


    “And did you see anyone before you hit themp post?” I asked.


    “No. The lights were out in the neighborhood. We had just turned the corner when all of a


    board the windshield cr ack then Tonher smashed into themp post. It happened


    11:32 Fri, Mar 29 M


    CHAPTER 91 Crime Scene


    so fast, he croaked. He averted his face and wiped his nose. He was crying. “I only figured out he was


    dead when I saw the bullet holes and the blood dripping from his…”


    He lowered his head, hiding his face from me. I wanted tofort him, but the partition was


    in the way.


    “I’m sorry you lost your friend, Little Ray. Don’t worry, we’ll get the s on ofa bit ch who did this. As for


    you, the Sheriff just wants a short statement, then he’ll release you from custody. You have North


    Dakota’s permitless carryws to thank for that,” I said. I opened the car door and stepped out of the


    Sheriff’s patrol car.


    When I spoke with Liam earlier today, he said Dan told him Pete would be leaving New Salem for a


    vacation.


    What the f uck was Pete doing kidnapping Ma and using her mother as leverage if he was leaving?


    It must have been a lie.


    I needed to find Riley or any one of his crew for more information. I’ll call Dan and ask him to hold


    Riley’s delivery so I could have a word with him.


    Before speaking to Sheriff Combs, I made a pit stop at the van to check on those bullet


    holes.


    Luckily, one of our senior deputies was in charge of overseeing the van. He was staring at the hood of


    the van with a puzzled expression on his face.


    “What’s wrong, Randy?” I asked behind him. He walked towards me and pulled me aside s we could


    speak in private.


    “If a person was shooting in front of the van with a smaller firearm, he would shoot repeatedly, then


    move out of the way. Not in this case. There are only two bullet holes and judging by the damage on


    Topher, I suspect long range and big caliber. I asked around and some of the residents said they heard


    something…. like a distinct loud cr ack, but it didn’t sound terrifying nor did it startle them. Some


    actually thought maybe it was lightning from a distance,” he exined.


    “Where are you going with this, Deputy?” I asked, confused. After the Cynthia McDowell case, he


    obviously did his research.


    “The sn iper used a suppressor. Undersheriff that kind of equipment is expensive. The


    4/6


    11:33 Fri, Mar 29 M


    CHAPTER 91 Crime Scene


    cheapest is priced at twenty-eight hundred dors and only fits with modern day weaponry. A


    suppressor brings down the sound of the supersonic boom of the bullet about… let’s say, 200 decibels


    at least.”


    “Okay. So, a sn iper shot at this van?


    “Yep. And the two in the silver Kia plus the two at the entrance of Brook Haven. A smaller caliber was


    used on the two in the house and the two in the blue Camry,” Randy said.


    “So you think there were two suspects who did this?” I asked.


    “Two at least, maybe three at most, if you want to include a getaway driver. I asked the neighbors if


    they saw anyone walking around and all of them had the same answer. None of them did. The only


    thing they did hear and see was this van crashing into the post and a ck car speeding away from


    Ma’s house right after.” He suddenly leaned over and whispered in my ear, “This looks like another


    abduction case.”


    Randy was on Liam’s payroll and believed everything had something to do with him. Since he was on a


    need to know basis, he didn’t know about Pete or the organization.


    Liam had money and employed trained guards. I knew a theory was already forming in his


    head.


    “I can’t say for sure, Randy. Better we keep quiet for now,” I told him.


    “I know this is the wrong time to ask, but I need more money. Christine is pregnant again and with a


    baby on the way…”


    “I gotcha. I’ll get that money for you. I promise, I assured him, patting him on the shoulder.


    He smiled.


    “Thanks, Jack.”


    I walked away, shaking my head in disbelief. Randy was bing a problem. I’ll have the


    Sheriff deal with him.


    I found Sheriff Combs standing in the middle of the street, instructing the deputies to have


    the two cars and the van towed out.


    “Little Ray said Ma’s mom was being used as leverage, so Ma wouldn’t put up a fight,” I whispered


    to the Sheriff. “He said Riley and his crew were supposed to deliver Ma to him.”


    5/6


    11:33 Fri, Mar 29 Mo


    CHAPTER 91 Crime Scene


    The Sheriff pulled me aside. He had a grim expression on his face.


    “Unfortunately, Ma has to take the fall for this,” he said. “I need you to nt evidence.”


    Chapter Comments


    Luna-Mom


    Can’t wait for Joy to teach you a really hard lesson pete


    VIEW 1 COMMENT


    POST COMMENT


    4


    16


    6/6