Personal Justice Read online

  Hank looked at the box. “No weapon?”

  “Can’t find a gun anywhere.”

  “Not surprising. If he didn’t come home, he still has it with him.”

  Mrs. Norton’s eyes moved back and forth between the box and the two detectives, her face clouded with confusion.

  “Keep looking,” Hank said to King, and then turned back to Mrs. Norton. “Do you have any idea where your husband might be?”

  She shook her head. “He always comes home after work. I can’t understand it. Something must’ve happened to him.”

  “King,” Hank called. He went out to the hallway where the detective stopped and turned around. “Get a BOLO out on Norton right away. And also on his car. If this guy’s on the run, he might be using his own vehicle.”

  “Done.”

  Hank went back to the front room and sat on the couch.

  “Detective,” Mrs. Norton said. “Michael has some family in Toronto. Perhaps he went there.”

  “We’ll check,” Hank said. “I’ll need their names and addresses as well as a list of all his acquaintances.”

  “I can do that right away. I hope you find him and he can clear this up.” She fidgeted with her hands as she spoke. “My husband didn’t murder anyone. I’m sure of that.”

  “The sooner we find him, the quicker we can sort this out, Mrs. Norton. Whatever you can do to help will make things go faster.”

  She leaned forward and looked intently at Hank. “I’ll help any way I can. I’m worried about my husband. He might be in danger.”

  Hank stood. “We’ll do our best to find him. Thank you, Mrs. Norton.” He tucked his notepad away and turned to leave. “An officer will stay here until you have the list ready.”

  Hank found King looking through the kitchen cupboards. “Anything interesting?” Hank asked.

  “Nothing.” King closed the cupboard door and turned to Hank. “I guess we’re done here for now.”

  Hank instructed an officer to stay and wait for the list. On the way out he gave Mrs. Norton his card and asked her to contact him if she heard from her husband. He and King left the house, went to the car, and got in.

  King turned to Hank. “Any more leads to follow?”

  Hank leaned back in his seat and let out a long breath. “Not right now. As soon as Mrs. Norton gets that list together, I want you to check them out. Norton’s hiding somewhere.”

  “Anything else?”

  “I’m going to visit Richmond Distributing to talk to Werner Shaft’s coworkers. One of them might know something.” He started the car and pulled away from the curb. “And then we’ll wait for the forensic report and the ME’s report and see if they have anything for us.”

  As they drove back to the precinct, they discussed what little they knew of the case. Hank was hard-pressed to come up with a motive, and until they found Michael Norton, there was little else they could do.

  Chapter 11

  Tuesday, 11:39 a.m.

  ANNIE CALLED CHRIS and updated him on the arrest of the organization plaguing Cranston’s. The head of security was amazed at the complexity and extent of the black market in boosted goods.

  Cranston’s was not the only retailer hit so hard. The group of thieves targeted grocery stores and pharmacies as well, and their inventory of items covered almost every aspect of retail goods imaginable.

  Annie was making detailed notes outlining the successful operation when the phone on her desk rang.

  The caller introduced herself as Maria Shaft. “Mrs. Lincoln,” the woman said, and sighed deeply. “My husband was murdered yesterday, and although the police have a suspect, it seems he’s fled.”

  “I’m sorry to hear about your husband, Mrs. Shaft. Please call me Annie. What can we do to help?”

  “I want you to find my husband’s killer.”

  Annie hesitated. “The police are capable of handling this. They have a lot more resources at their disposal than we do.”

  “Nonetheless, I’d like you to help, if you’re willing.” Her voice broke and she paused a moment. “My husband was a good man and I want his killer found and stopped.”

  Annie asked the woman to hold and went to the kitchen where Jake sat at the table, reading the newspaper. She explained the phone call and the caller’s request.

  “We have nothing pressing right now,” Jake said. “It won’t hurt to talk to her.”

  “What can we do the police can’t?” Annie asked.

  Jake shrugged. “Who knows?”

  Annie realized, as the head of RHPD robbery/homicide, this would be Hank’s case. He was as capable as any detective, and better than most. Nonetheless, they could look into it.

  “We’ll go and see her.” Annie said, and went back to the office. She made arrangements with Mrs. Shaft to visit her right away.

  She hung up the phone thoughtfully. If they chose to take the case, she knew Hank would be willing to share any information he had with them. He often said they were on the same side, so why keep secrets? Justice was more important to him than territory.

  Although some cops in the precinct objected to their close relationship with the homicide detective, Captain Diego didn’t argue all that strenuously. Their success was his success, and gave him another notch in his belt. The captain had recently gone so far as to offer them positions as auxiliary constables—which they had politely declined.

  It didn’t take Jake long to get ready. He picked his keys from a wicker basket in the kitchen, tucked his cell phone in its holder, and stood by the front door, waiting for her.

  Annie shut down her computer, changed her clothes, and grabbed her handbag containing a notepad, a digital recorder, and her cell phone, along with a variety of other necessities.

  Jake had tired of waiting and pulled the Firebird from the garage, revving it up when she got in.

  A few minutes later they parked in front of Maria Shaft’s residence, went up the walkway, and rang the bell.

  Mrs. Shaft opened the door, they introduced themselves, and she ushered them in.

  A man standing by a brick fireplace at the far side of the living room turned when they entered, approached them, and held out a hand. “Rocky Shaft. Werner’s brother.”

  The man looked to be midthirties, casually dressed, with a long, solemn face as grim and unsmiling as Maria’s. They both appeared to be under a lot of strain, understandable given the circumstances.

  They shook his offered hand and he waved toward the couch. Mrs. Shaft sat in a matching chair while Rocky stood by her side, one hand on the back of her chair, a perpetual frown on his face.

  Maria Shaft spoke first. “I talked to Detective Hank Corning earlier. He’s been helpful in answering our questions, but I feel, with your help there might be a better chance of finding Michael Norton before he disappears forever.”

  Jake smiled. “We don’t know Michael Norton or anything at all about this. Maybe we should start at the beginning, Mrs. Shaft.”

  “I’m sorry. Of course.” Mrs. Shaft offered a faint smile, leaned forward, and clasped her hands in her lap. “Michael Norton is the suspect in my husband’s murder, but he’s nowhere to be found.” She paused. “Please call me Maria.”

  Annie removed the digital recorder from her bag, switched it on, and sat it on the coffee table between them. “I hope you don’t mind if I record this?”

  “I don’t mind at all.”

  “Please tell us everything you know, Maria,” Annie said.

  Maria Shaft stopped often to wipe a tear or stifle a sob as she explained how the murder was believed to have taken place and exactly who the suspect was.

  Rocky stood, unmoving all the while. When she finished, he crossed his arms and said, “I know this Norton character. He’s bad news. My brother finally got his life straightened out and things were going good for him.” He looked down at Maria. “Weren’t they, Maria?”

  She nodded and wiped a tear. “He was a good husband.”

  “What about a motive?”
Annie asked. “What reason would Norton have to kill Werner?”

  “I’ve been thinking about that,” Rocky said. “Perhaps Norton is involved in something criminal again. Maybe he approached Werner about helping him, and Werner threatened to turn him in.”

  “But weren’t they friends?” Jake asked.

  Rocky shook his head emphatically. “After prison, they went their separate ways. As far as I know, they haven’t seen each other for a long time. But I could be wrong.”

  “Are you convinced Michael Norton is the killer?” Jake asked.

  “The police have evidence against him, and given his history, I believe so.”

  “But why would he run?”

  “Perhaps he was afraid the witness saw his face,” Annie suggested.

  Jake looked at Annie. “Could be that. Or maybe there’s something else Norton’s afraid will come to light.”

  Annie picked up her recorder, shut it off, and dropped it into her handbag. “We’ll have to work on some thoughts and see what we come up with.” She stood. “We’ll do some preliminary investigation and let you know.”

  Jake stood. “Don’t give up on the police yet. Hank Corning is a friend of ours and he’s a good cop.” He looked at Annie then back at Maria. “Between us and Detective Corning, we should be able to track this guy down.”

  Maria rose and smiled. “Thank you. I can’t bear the thought of that man going free after what he did.”

  They shook hands and Rocky escorted them to the door. “Don’t worry about payment,” he said. “Werner had some savings and I’m willing to kick in. Just find my brother’s killer.”

  “We’ll do all we can and let you know,” Jake said, as he and Annie stepped outside.

  They got in the car, and as they drove away, Annie said, “I’m still not so sure about this case. Hank’s quite capable.”

  Jake looked at her and shrugged. “I’m willing to stick at it unless something else pops up.”

  Annie nodded. “Let me go over my notes and I’ll let you know what I think.”

  Chapter 12

  Tuesday, 12:18 p.m.

  HANK HAD DROPPED into Richmond Distributing and talked to everyone there who knew, or worked with, Werner Shaft. The story he pieced together was that Shaft came into work on Monday, clocked out as usual at 7:00 p.m., and hadn’t been heard from since.

  Most of them had displayed shock when they learned of his murder. It seemed Shaft was well liked, a reasonably good warehouse manager, and nobody could think of anything unusual or suspicious happening that day, or any other day, involving him.

  Werner’s brother, Rocky, was at work that day as well, and the story was much the same—business as usual. He was there until 7:00 pm on Monday, and Tuesday morning he clocked in but left shortly thereafter, presumably when Maria called him regarding the murder of his brother. Hank hadn’t interviewed Rocky—that would be forthcoming.

  King had obtained the list of Michael Norton’s family and friends from Norton’s wife, Tammy, and he would be doing a series of interviews. He’d likely be gone most of the day. Hank didn’t hold out much hope for results at that end. It seemed unlikely Norton would kill somebody, then hide out at one of the most obvious places.

  When Hank got back to the precinct, he was pleased to see the ME’s report regarding the murder of Werner Shaft waiting on his desk. He picked up the folder and underneath it were the forensic and ballistic reports. Jameson had kept his word and processed the evidence in record time.

  He leafed through the ME’s report, slipped the summary page from the stack of papers, and browsed it. Her findings on Werner Shaft weren’t a surprise. The observations Hank made at the crime scene proved to be correct.

  Report of Findings on the Death of Werner Shaft

  Cause of death: gunshot wound to the head.

  Manner of death: homicide.

  Blood alcohol: negative.

  Blood drug screens: negative.

  Urine drug screens: negative.

  My examination of the body of Werner Shaft revealed a gunshot wound to the head, with the entrance wound on the forehead, and the exit wound on the rear of the head. The trajectory of the bullet that went through Werner Shaft’s head was front to back, fired from a distance of eighteen to twenty-four inches.

  Werner Shaft also received a gunshot wound to the back, entering approximately one inch from the center. The trajectory of the bullet was through the spinal cord, lodging in the heart. The lack of gunshot residue indicates the shot came from a distance.”

  Werner Shaft also received a non-fatal gunshot wound to the left shoulder, two inches down from the top surface of the shoulder, entering the deltoid muscle from the rear at approximately a forty-five degree angle. The bullet exited the front of the body. The lack of gunshot residue, along with the angle of penetration, indicates the shot came from a distance.”

  In my opinion, Werner Shaft died of a gunshot wound to the head. Manner of death is homicide.

  The ballistic report was much more interesting and enlightening.

  Two shell casings were found in the laneway beside Master Footwear, one more at the rear. Both came from Shaft’s weapon. In the alleyway between the two buildings, two more casings were found, one at the entranceway to the alley, one close by the body. Both were from an unknown weapon.

  Except for the bullet found in Shaft’s heart, and the one that embedded itself in the ground under his head, the rest of them had not been found, having missed their target.

  That all fit in perfectly with the statement of the witness.

  The forensic report stated the empty cartridge box found in Norton’s basement had his fingerprints on it. That wasn’t surprising. It was Norton’s house.

  What made Hank sit forward was the discovery of a partial fingerprint on the casing found beside the body. That fingerprint was identified as belonging to Michael Norton.

  Now he had enough for an arrest warrant. All he needed to do was find Norton.

  He leaned back, trying to decide what his next move was. He was waiting to see if King uncovered anything, hoping Norton or his car would be found, and praying for a solid lead.

  His ringing cell phone brought him out of his thoughts. It was Jake.

  “Afternoon, Hank,” Jake said when the detective answered the phone.

  Hank tilted his chair back and rested his foot on an open desk drawer. “Congratulations to both of you for the sting you set up. I hear they brought in a lot of guys. Wish I could’ve been there.”

  Jake chuckled. “Maybe next time, Hank. You can’t be everywhere at once.”

  “Diego is pretty happy. I understand Cranston’s is over the moon about it. King is the only one who didn’t have anything good to say. No surprise there.”

  “What about the low-level guys? The boosters?” Jake asked.

  Hank laughed. “I’m pretty sure we’ll find somebody who’ll talk and we’ll nab some of them. The rest’ll be out of business anyway, with no place to sell the stuff.”

  “Another bunch will spring up,” Jake said. “I don’t think there’ll ever be an end to organized shoplifting.”

  “Afraid you’re right.”

  Jake cleared his throat. “Hank, do you know somebody by the name of Maria Shaft?”

  Hank sat forward. “I sure do. Where’d you get that name?”

  “She called us. I assumed this would be your case. She wants us to find her husband’s killer.”

  “She’s in a mighty hurry, isn’t she? I only told her about her husband’s murder this morning.”

  “She heard the suspect, Michael Norton, ran,” Jake said. “She wants us to track him down before he disappears.”

  “She’s already called me twice since this morning,” Hank said. “She doesn’t understand these things can take some time. I filled her in on what we know so far, but there’s not much to go on. Right now we’re trying to find Norton. Been talking to most everyone he knows. So far, no luck.”

  “We don’t want
to step on your toes, Hank. We didn’t tell Maria Shaft we’d take the case for sure. We said we’d look into it.”

  “It doesn’t matter to me. You guys are welcome to everything I have. You know how I feel about that.”

  “Appreciate it, Hank.”

  “I’ll get together a package and get it to you. Right now, I’m running out of leads, so I might have time to drop by there later today.”

  “Look forward to it,” Jake said, and they hung up.

  Hank still needed to make a visit to Michael Norton’s workplace. According to the information they obtained, Norton was employed as a production line worker at Sterling Auto Parts. It was doubtful he would have talked to his coworkers about his plans, but in an effort to leave no stone unturned, Hank decided to drop by there now.

  He picked up his briefcase, dropped the reports inside, and pushed back his chair.

  According to his latest call with Mrs. Shaft, her brother-in-law was there with her today. He would pay Rocky Shaft a visit on the way back, wrapping up his entire list of leads and possible suspects.

  Chapter 13

  Tuesday, 12:43 p.m.

  LISA KRUNK was a legend in her own mind. With eyes and ears everywhere, there wasn’t much in this dumpy little town that passed her by. Her many years as a television journalist, and her dogged determination, ensured that.

  The evening before, when she got wind of the murder of Werner Shaft, she leaped into action. If she hadn’t been chasing some dead-end story on the other side of the city, she would’ve made it to the crime scene before the body was taken away.

  As it was, her trusty cameraman, Don, got a few shots of cops hanging around, the flashy yellow tape everywhere, and the ambulance pulling away with its load. She was able to corner a couple of cops who knew next to nothing about what happened. The whole thing was a big disappointment.

  Via her sources, she pieced together most of the facts of what had gone on, and now, those same sources confirmed the police had a suspect. His name was Michael Norton. A few minutes of research netted her the relationship between Shaft and Norton.