Personal Justice Read online

  A trailer was backed up to the loading dock and the hum of a lift truck could be heard unloading skids of merchandise to be redistributed. A man door beside the dock was propped open by a concrete block, and from where Jake stood, workers could be seen engrossed in their tasks.

  He stepped inside and looked around. No one paid him any attention; perhaps they assumed he was a truck or local delivery van driver.

  Jake didn’t know where he would find Shaft. He only knew he worked in the shipping department. Half of the enormous room was filled with rows and rows of shelving, skids piled three layers high, and mounds of shipping material. Shaft could be anywhere.

  The entire right wall of the building was one long counter, weigh scales and postage machines at intervals, where pickers filled orders for shipping to individuals and small companies. Shaft wasn’t among those preoccupied workers.

  To his left, on the far side of the loading dock, Jake spied a small office. He waited for a lift truck to rumble by, then strolled across the floor and peered into the room.

  Rocky Shaft sat at a small desk, filling out some forms. He seemed to have become shipping manager in place of his brother. Certainly the promotion would not be a motive for murder, just a logical step for the company to take in light of Werner’s demise.

  Jake tapped on the open door. Shaft looked up and his face darkened. He tossed his pen on the desk, spun around, and glared at the visitor. “What do you want?”

  Jake disregarded the surly tone and smiled politely. “I want to talk to you about your brother.”

  Shaft’s voice took on a calmer tone. “What about him?”

  “Norton didn’t kill him,” Jake said.

  Shaft remained quiet a moment, then, “Norton killed my brother. I have no doubt about that, and all the evidence proves he did.”

  “Evidence can be planted.”

  Shaft shrugged. “And who planted the evidence?”

  “Maybe you.”

  Shaft slammed a fist on a table. “Are you accusing me of killing my own brother?”

  “I’m not accusing anyone,” Jake said calmly. “I’ll let the evidence speak for itself.”

  “Fine. Let the evidence speak and it’ll show I had nothing to do with it. You’re making accusations based on nothing.”

  “Not exactly nothing,” Jake said. He paused and watched closely for Shaft’s reaction. “Did your brother know you were having an affair with his wife?”

  Shaft flew from his chair and took a step toward Jake. His left fist clenched, a finger of his other hand pointing at Jake. “I’m not having an affair, and you know it.”

  “According to witnesses, you are.”

  Shaft folded his arms. “What witnesses?”

  “You can drop the pretense, Shaft,” Jake said. “You might as well admit it.”

  Shaft pointed toward the door, his face red. “Get out of here.”

  “Maria admits you’re having an affair,” Jake said.

  Shaft dropped into the chair, bewildered, frowning. He glared at Jake a moment, then, “Just go.”

  Jake noted there was no second denial, just more anger. He took a chance. “I know where the money is, Shaft.”

  “What money?”

  “From the drug heist.”

  A frown took over Shaft’s brow and his eyes narrowed. “I don’t believe you.”

  Jake shrugged. “You don’t have to believe me. I’m only giving you a heads-up. You aren’t the only one who knows where it’s hidden, and certain people love to talk.”

  Shaft stood again, took two steps toward Jake, and stopped. “I don’t have to speak to you or answer any of your questions. I’ve done nothing wrong.” He reached forward, poked Jake in the chest, and spoke in a low, menacing tone. “Get out of here.”

  Jake didn’t budge. “I know you killed Norton and I can prove it.”

  Shaft’s face flushed with anger. “You have no proof because I didn’t kill anyone.”

  “I also know Maria’s in on it,” Jake said. “She knows the whole story.”

  “Leave Maria out of this. She knows nothing about anything.”

  “You’re quite protective of her, aren’t you?” Jake said.

  Shaft’s nostrils flared and he jutted his chin. “Of course I am. She’s my brother’s wife and she wouldn’t hurt a flea.”

  “Thanks for your time,” Jake said, as he turned and stepped outside the office door. He waved a hand. “See you later, Shaft.”

  The door slammed behind him. Jake turned back and put his ear to the door. He could make out Shaft cursing, then a few moments later, a murmuring voice. Shaft was on the phone with someone, perhaps Maria.

  Jake went back outside and nodded at a worker coming through the door. The truck was pulling away from the loading dock, another one waiting to back in.

  He hurried to the front of the building, hopped in his car and drove it around back, parking it five slots past Shaft’s pickup. He jumped out, moved to the rear of the property, sat on the grassy strip along the fence, leaned back, and brought up his knees.

  Though Shaft’s face told otherwise, he didn’t admit to the affair. And if his words were any indication, he came close to admitting he knew about the money. Whether or not he killed Norton, Jake didn’t know, but one thing he knew for sure, Rocky Shaft was involved in this somehow.

  He had riled Shaft up pretty good, and if Shaft was as anxious as Jake assumed he would be, then the angry man was going to make a move, and make it soon.

  Chapter 36

  Thursday, 10:43 a.m.

  HANK TURNED the steering wheel and eased the Chevy onto Auburn Street. To the right, small houses that had been the standard for modern family homes in bygone days, now stood as examples of decay, neglect, and abuse.

  Across the street, decrepit tenements and graffiti-clad low-rises lined the inner-city street. According to the address King had obtained, Harland Eastwood lived in one of them.

  King peered through the passenger side window as the vehicle rolled over potholes and bulging asphalt. “Pull up here,” he said, waving toward the curb. He pointed to one of the buildings. “That’s the place.”

  Hank pulled over, shut down the engine, and they stepped out. Litter swam by his feet as a sudden breeze came up, whirling dust and debris in and out of the gutter.

  A pair of lethargic women lounged in lawn chairs on a postage-stamp lawn. With nothing better to occupy their time, they watched curiously as the cops crossed the street and approached the ravaged building.

  Home to the idle poor, the unemployed, and the squatters, the ancient two-story building was doomed never to see a much-needed makeover. Rather, when the booming city demanded more space, these buildings would be leveled, and gleaming new high-rises to house the middle class would take their place. The poor would be pushed out, forced to huddle elsewhere.

  King pushed open the door leading into a darkened lobby. The door squealed as it scraped against the tiled floor and remained open.

  “Upstairs. 204,” King said, striding across the lobby to a set of concrete and metal steps leading upward.

  Hank followed him to the second floor where the top of the steps opened into a short hallway. A musty smell filled the close, warm air, mixed with what could be human waste or something an animal left behind. It filled Hank’s nose, and he could taste it on his tongue.

  They walked the tattered and stained carpeting to the end of the hall and stopped in front of 204.

  King tapped on the door. There was no answer.

  He tapped again, waited a moment, and then rammed the door with his shoulder. It held.

  Hank grabbed King’s arm. “You can’t do that. We have no probable cause, and no warrant to search this place.”

  King spun to face Hank. “We’re not going to search. Just talk.” He wrested his arm from Hank’s grasp and rammed the door again. Wood splintered and crackled as it burst inward and slammed against the inner wall.

  Hank was growing tired of King’s cowb
oy attitude. He would always have his partner’s back, but Hank was determined to make it clear, he wasn’t going to put up with King’s illegal antics much longer.

  “Relax, Hank,” King said, as he stepped into the apartment.

  If it were possible, the stench inside the room was worse than the hallway. Human sweat, and something like the smell of rotting fish, greeted Hank as he followed King in.

  His eyes roved over the contents of the one-room apartment, not much more than piles of old clothes, fifty-year-old furniture, and cast-offs of all kinds.

  Across the room, a man clad only in boxer shorts, a beer belly hanging over his waistline, struggled to a seating position on a caved-in couch. His dark, sleep-filled eyes were wide, and the mouth on his oval face hung open.

  “What the—”

  King interrupted. “Harland Eastwood?” he asked, pulling back his shirt to reveal the badge fastened to his belt.

  “I didn’t do nothin’,” Eastwood said, brushing back his stringy, dark hair.

  King looked down at the startled man, “That’s not what I hear. Possession of drugs with intent to traffic.” King’s eyes roved around the room. “I bet if I looked around a little, I’d come up with something.”

  “Where’s your warrant?” Eastwood asked, sitting back and folding his arms.

  “We have probable cause,” King lied.

  Hank nudged King aside and turned to Eastwood. “Look. We just want to ask you a couple questions then we’ll go. We can forget all about drug possession charges.”

  Eastwood’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of questions?”

  “About the guys you work for.”

  “I’m unemployed.”

  “Great,” Hank said. “Then you won’t mind talking to us about your ex-boss.”

  Eastwood gave a blank, confused stare.

  “We want to know about a drug money heist that went down a few months ago,” King said. “Talk to us and we were never here.”

  “Mind if I get dressed,” Eastwood asked. He leaned forward, reached down, and picked up a pair of faded jeans beside the couch, then stood and slipped them on. He pulled a wrinkled t-shirt from a pile and worked it over his head.

  “What d’you wanna know?” the man asked, tucking his hands into his pockets.

  “Who pulled the heist?” Hank asked.

  Eastwood shrugged. “Nobody knows.” He paused. “As far as I can tell, that is.”

  “Somebody must know.”

  “Maybe. But if so, they didn’t tell me.”

  “How much money was taken?” King asked.

  “About five hundred large. Least, that’s what I heard.”

  “How many gunmen?”

  Eastwood cocked his head. “You mean, how many guys robbed them?”

  “Yes. How many?”

  “Three.”

  “You’re sure?” Hank asked.

  “Positive. There were three.”

  “Because you were there, weren’t you?” King asked.

  Eastwood said nothing.

  King reached out and pushed Eastwood onto the couch. “You were there, right?”

  Eastwood looked up at King. “Maybe.”

  Hank touched King’s arm. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is if he’s telling the truth.”

  “It’s the truth,” the man said.

  “Did you recognize any of them?” King asked.

  Eastwood shook his head adamantly. “They wore masks.”

  “And your boss has no idea who it was?”

  “Not that I know of.” Eastwood tilted his head slightly. “Why do you guys care about this? If drug money gets stolen, why are the cops involved?”

  Hank looked at King, and then back at Eastwood. “Because one of the guys we think pulled the robbery is dead. Maybe two. And we want to know who killed them.”

  Eastwood’s eyes darted back and forth between the two cops. “I hope you’re not looking at me for that.”

  “Should we be?”

  “Of course not.” Eastwood swallowed hard. “And I don’t think my boss was involved either or I would’ve heard about it.”

  “Don’t you mean your ex-boss?” King asked.

  “Yeah. That’s what I meant.”

  “You can tell your ex-boss when you talk to him, probably as soon as we leave, if he killed anyone, we’re coming for him.”

  Eastwood moistened his lips. “I’ll … I’ll tell him.”

  “One more question,” Hank said. “Did the robbers use pistols or rifles?”

  “Pistols.”

  “.38’s?”

  “Don’t know.”

  Hank looked at King. “Anything else?”

  “Yeah, maybe,” King said, and looked at Eastwood. “Stay out of trouble because I might not overlook your indiscretions next time.” He paused. “But you can always get ahold of me if you find out anything else. That might earn you a get-out-of-jail-free card.” King pulled out a business card and flipped it onto the couch. “You can always reach me here.”

  Eastwood glanced at the card, then back at King. “I ain’t a snitch.”

  “Keep the card anyway. You never know when it might come in handy,” King said, and turned to Hank. “Shall we let this guy get back to his beauty sleep?”

  Hank nodded, then turned and left the apartment. King followed, pulling the broken door closed behind him.

  Hank whirled around, put a hand on King’s chest, and pushed him against the wall. He moved in close and scowled. “You can do whatever you want on your own time, but when I’m around, we do things right. Next time, we knock. We don’t go busting doors down.” He paused. “Got that?”

  King nodded and said dryly, “Whatever you say, Hank.”

  Hank narrowed his eyes, glared a moment longer, then straightened King’s collar and turned away. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Chapter 37

  Thursday, 11:05 a.m.

  JAKE SAT ON THE grass, leaning against the fence. He was half-hidden from the view of anyone who might exit the rear of the warehouse, and he waited patiently for Rocky Shaft.

  If Jake’s claim to know the whereabouts of the heist money made Shaft nervous at all, Jake expected him to take steps to secure it, or at the least, to ensure it was untouched.

  He rolled to one side and ducked out of sight when Shaft exited the building. Jake looked at his watch. It wasn’t lunch time yet, but Shaft was headed somewhere. He had slipped away early and was walking straight toward his vehicle.

  Jake stood, keeping low, and moved to his car. He stood at the driver side and watched as Shaft opened the door of his pickup.

  Jake’s eyes bulged as a man appeared at the back of the truck, an upraised baseball bat held firmly in both hands. Even from where Jake stood, he saw hostility written all over the newcomer’s face.

  “Shaft,” Jake yelled.

  Too late. The man stepped forward and the bat connected with Shaft’s back. Jake sprang into action as the victim went down. He heard the dull thud of the weapon striking, again and again.

  Jake reached Shaft’s vehicle and the man stood straight, raised the bat, and glared at Jake. Shaft moved and groaned, then lay still again, now flat on his back.

  “Put it down,” Jake demanded.

  The attacker looked back at Shaft and gritted his teeth, striking the victim again. Shaft groaned and curled into a ball.

  Jake stepped forward as the man backed up and pointed the club toward Jake. “Stay back.”

  “Put the bat down,” Jake repeated.

  The assailant swished the weapon through the air. “You’re next if you don’t stay back.”

  Jake took another step forward. “Who’re you?”

  The attacker pointed at Shaft. “This guy killed my cousin and I’m giving him what he deserves.”

  “Who’s your cousin?”

  “Michael Norton was my cousin.” He raised the bat, clenched his jaw, and glared at Shaft.

  The man on the ground held his ribs and rolled t
o his back. He groaned. “I … I didn’t kill Norton.” The words came out amid puffs of air. “It wasn’t me.” He groaned again and pulled up his knees.

  Jake took another step forward, stood by Shaft, and reached for the club. “Give it to me.”

  The man poked the tip of the bat toward Jake. Jake grabbed for it and missed, the weapon connecting with the back of his hand.

  The attacker swung the bat again. Jake leaned back as it whistled past his face.

  The man was average height and weight, and would be easy enough for Jake to subdue under normal circumstances, but this wasn’t normal. The man held a potentially deadly weapon and Jake didn’t want to feel the wrong end of it.

  He held out a hand, palm up. “You’ve punished him enough. Give me the bat.”

  The assailant shook his head. Jake moved forward, stepped over Shaft, and then ducked as the weapon whistled over his head. He grabbed the angry man’s leg, pulled, and the man went down.

  Jake felt the weapon connect with his ribs. Once. Twice. He grabbed for it, missed, and rolled aside as the club swung again and smacked the asphalt with a dull thud.

  He felt his aching ribs. He would be okay. Fortunately, the attacker was on the ground and hadn’t been able to wind up his swing, otherwise Jake might be lying beside Shaft, unable to move.

  Jake scrambled to his feet in time to see the assailant straighten up, turn around, and run behind the next car, heading for safety, the weapon still gripped in one hand.

  Jake followed, the pain in his side keeping him from making his best speed. He pulled out his cell phone and called 9-1-1 as he ran after the assailant. He gave his location and asked for an ambulance as well as a cruiser ASAP.

  The attacker was fifty feet away, heading up beside the warehouse, but not gaining ground. Despite the ache in his side, Jake had stamina, and the man was tiring. It was just a matter of time.

  They rounded the front of the building. Jake drew closer as the man dug in his pocket, removed a ring of keys, and slid to a stop beside a pickup.

  Jake put on a burst of speed as the man hopped inside and slammed the door. The locks snapped shut and the vehicle roared as the engine caught. The truck began to back out.