I, the Tribunal Read online

  Twenty minutes later, I was pulling Dabrowski’s bell attached to his quarter million dollar dog house. A butler answered the door. The crow was so stiff, you’d a thought he’d been to the taxidermist. “Yes?”

  “Kaiser Wrench, I’m here to see Dabrowski.”

  “Mr. Dabrowski is unavailable, sir.”

  There’s no disguising the brush-off when you hear it, and I wasn’t buying.

  “Well, you tell Dabrowski to make himself available, or I’ll come in there and make him available.” I emphasised how serious the situation was, and the crow backed down.

  “If you would care to wait in the library, I’ll notify Mr. Dabrowski of your meeting.” The crow took my hat and showed me to a book lined room with a large mirror over the fireplace. No upholstered boxes or elevated benches. These were dog digs. Throw pillows and low overstuffed chairs. I ignored the chew toy poking out from under a table and plopped down on the largest piece of furniture in the room.

  The wait wasn’t long. Stockier than his picture and with a lot more gray in his fur, Dabrowski came barking in. “What are you doing here? I’m busy.”

  Unperturbed, I lit a cigarette. “You read the papers?”

  Dabrowski bared his teeth. “Yes, and about you and your so-called promise. I can’t help you.”

  “After you left the party, where’d you go.”

  “We came back here and went to bed. Neither of us knew about the murder until this morning when the police came by to question us.”

  “We?”

  “Damien Styles, he lives here.”

  I motioned to the door. “Can the bird or anyone else verify your whereabouts?”

  “No, we used a key to let ourselves in. We alibi each other, and that should be sufficient.”

  I was off the couch and in his face so fast he barely had time to wet himself. “Your alibi is crap, and you know it. You’re not dealing with the nice police officers, you’re dealing with me, Kaiser Wrench. There’s no way I’m pulling you from my suspect list. If I so much as think you had a dust mots chance in hell of being involved with Jeremy’s death, I’ll open you up and pull out your insides.” A show of how big my claws are is always a nice touch when dealing with uncooperative crooks.

  Maybe I went a bit too heavy on the teeth and claw. No one had talked like that to Dabrowski in twenty years, and I had him whining like a day old pup.

  Repulsed by the show, I moved aside in time to have a vase smash on my shoulder instead of my head.

  I sheathed my claws, twisted, and blocked a few punches before landing a knockout blow to Damien Styles’ head. He crumpled to the floor like a rag doll.

  “There was a time you would have fought me yourself. Instead you let this half-weened pup come at me.” I pointed to the mirror over the fireplace to let Dabrowski know I’d spotted Styles coming. “Pitiful.”

  While I resisted disemboweling Dabrowski on principle, Styles decided to come to. “Bastard. You had to fight dirty.”

  I picked up the Alaskan Malamute by the scruff and showed him my teeth. His eyes grew wide, and his tail zipped between his legs. “If I had time, I’d swat you around the room. But I don’t have time to deal with your fuzzy little butt.” Speaking of which, I had dropped the cigarette I was smoking somewhere between interrogating Dabrowski and picking up Styles. While I hated wasting a drag, I hoped it burned a hole in the expensive rug we were standing on.

  “Stay.” I dropped him on a chair.

  Before I could say anything else, Dabrowski grew a pair, though small. “I know people. I have influence—”

  “No kidding? Let me guess. Assault and battery? Lose my P.I. license?” My sarcasm turned nasty. “That’s not going to save what’s left of your face when I get through with you. Answers, now. What time did you leave the party?”

  Dabrowski let out a whine. “About one.” The answer squared with Deloris’.

  “Where did you go from there?”

  “Downstairs. Damien has a car. We… Damien and I, dropped Deloris off at her place and came home. The car is still in the garage. Ask Damien, he’ll tell you.”

  “Then what?”

  Dabrowski gave me a blank stare that quickly turned to frustration. “We had a highball and went to bed.”

  “Together?”

  That got Styles off the couch and growling. I put my mitt in his face and shoved him back into the furniture. Some dogs didn’t like their alpha status being tarnished.

  “Either of you could have doubled back and shot Jeremy. Maybe you were in on it together. If it was either of those two options, you’d better hightail it to Duke Barrow’s office if you’d like to see the end of your trial.”

  “Did I hear my name?” I jumped and twisted around to see Duke Barrow standing in the doorway smiling. It wasn’t often that the German shepherd could sneak up on me.

  Dabrowski, seeing a fellow dog, decided to start yapping. “Officer, this tiger broke into my house, insulted my guest, and started a fight. Isn’t that right Damien?”

  Styles glanced from me to Duke, who stood smiling with his hands in his pockets. Apparently, the pup bought a clue and realized Jeremy was an ex-cop. And cops don’t like cop-killers.

  “No.” Damien ears lowered, and he sunk down in the chair as Dabrowski sputtered.

  “Liar, what’s gotten into you?”

  “This.” I swung at Dabrowski and hit him square in the gut. Doubling over, he spewed his breakfast all over the rug. Duke and I didn’t stick around to see if he would lap it up.

  Outside, Duke’s car was in the driveway. We got in, and Duke drove us out to the main road heading back to the city.

  “How much did you hear?” I asked.

  “Enough that I don’t have to ask myself.”

  “The tail you put on me was pitiful. I left him at the gas station along with my jalopy.”

  “Yeah, he called me from the station. Why’d you hike it from there to Dabrowski’s place?”

  “After what you said to the newspaper, do you think he was going to see me? Besides, I needed my exercise.”

  “You climbed the wall.”

  “Yep. Here’s the station.”

  Duke pulled in right in front of my very mystified tail. As I got out of the car, Duke asked, “How did he lose your scent?”

  “Used the car as a ladder to get on the station roof. From there, a nice row of oaks line the field.”

  “I should have you teach a course.”

  “No thanks.”

  “Meet me at the station. There’s something I want you to look at before either of us go any further on this case.”

  Curious, I nodded and got into my own heap. The three of us drove in a row like three blind mice all the way to the precinct. Once there, Duke dismissed my tail and sequestered us in his office along with a shot of whisky.

  “So, what is it you wanted me to see?”

  “This.” Duke pulled a file out of his drawer and slid it in front of me. The name Deloris Shaffer was on the label.

  “We’re not going there. Deloris would never hurt Jeremy.”

  Duke put up his hands. “Just hear me out. There’s a lot neither of us knew about. Jeremey and Deloris may have agreed never to discuss her past, but that doesn’t mean others didn’t investigate. The narcotics squad doesn’t take no for an answer. And while Deloris was in the hospital off her head from withdrawal, she said a lot she may not remember, and they listened.”

  He offered another shot of whiskey, but I declined, and he continued talking.

  “Common story. Deloris was a small-town lioness wanting to make it big on stage. Wrong place, wrong friends, wrong business. She got hooked on the nip. Her supplier doubled as a bookie, with connections to a politician currently residing in the pen after the narcotics squad busted the racket. Problem was, they never got the top guy. Their only connection was a weasel who got his head blown off during a raid.”

  Duke growled and shook his head. “They used the post office, so the feds got
involved. But even this was smart, if not backwards. The dope was shipped to post office boxes and the same for the cash. We could have labeled the mess amateurish if not for the size and complexity.”

  “I hadn’t heard.”

  “You were knee deep with the war by then.”

  “What does this have to do with Jeremy’s death.”

  “Once a cop, always a cop.” Duke crossed his arms on the desk and leaned forward. “Jeremey loved Deloris, but that doesn’t mean he might not have poked his nose where he shouldn’t. Or that something was said, found out possibly. He could have had something the killer wanted.”

  “You saw his place, it wasn’t tossed.”

  “You know what that means. The whole setup smells of self-protection.”

  Duke was right, and he knew it. Problem was, what did Jeremy find out that got him killed.

  “I got work to do.” I pulled out a cigarette from my pocket before leaving his office and spotted my tail on the way out the front door. The action of flattening myself into an alcove of the building wall took a little effort, but I waited for my tail to pass.

  “Got a light?”

  The bunny just about jumped out of his shoes and had enough decency to look ashamed.

  “Let’s drop the act and take a walk.”

  Officer Bunny didn’t smoke, so I dug around my pockets for a match before giving up. When we reached my car I said, “Get in.” The rabbit gave me a curious glance but got in the passenger side without a word. He stayed button lipped the entire ride.

  I parked the car outside this little hotel I know and got out. My tail followed, right into the revolving door. While I ended up back outside, the bunny got stuck in the revolving door after I jammed the rubber wedge I’d grabbed off my dashboard into the door. As entertaining as it would have been to stick around and watch the guy ping pong off the glass, I had better things to do.

  CHAPTER 4

  The doctor’s waiting room was modern, yet comfortable. Soft lighting and even softer music would have put me to sleep if the bird in charge of the reception desk had not called me over. Her eagle eye gave me the once over and probably would have called security to have me thrown out if the decision hadn’t already been made.

  “Doctor Gamal will see you now. Do keep in mind she is very busy.”

  I would have given her a toothy smile just to ruffle her feathers, but eagles have wicked beaks and even more wicked talons. Having been once bitten, I’m twice shy.

  Doctor Sylvia Gamal was even better than her picture. She was Michelangelo’s Venus with her clothes on. She lounged in her chair, wearing a professional long sleeved suit dress that hugged every curve. The desk she sat behind blocked the view of her legs, but that didn’t matter. If the doc could have read my mind, she would have had me arrested.

  “Good morning, Mr. Wrench.” Her voice was honey sweet and could send chills up a tiger’s spine. “Would I be correct in assuming you’re here on police business?”

  “Yes and no. I’m a private eye. Jeremy Wilkins was a friend of mine.” I sat down in the chair opposite and continued. “You could say it’s personal.”

  “Ah, yes. I read about you in the papers. An interesting study. Several of my colleagues would think otherwise, but I believe your words are quite just. How can I help, detective?”

  “When did you leave Jeremey’s party?”

  “We all left around the same time. One o’clock I believe.”

  “Where’d you go after?”

  “I have a car, and the Patterson twins drove with me. Before I dropped them back at their hotel, we stopped at a bar. Maggs, I think it was called. We didn’t stay long, because they closed at two. By the time I reached my apartment, it was just after two.”

  “Can anybody vouch for that?”

  Sylvia smiled. She had a lovely smile. “Yes. Chatty, my maid is a light sleeper, but even if she wasn’t, I’m sure the chime on my door would still wake her.”

  “Has Duke Barrow come by to see you?”

  “Yes. First thing this morning. He might have checked my story by now.”

  “Duke’s moving fast.”

  She gave me another one of her million-watt smiles and shifted in a liquid motion that almost made me forget why I was there.

  “Mind telling me how you met Jeremy?”

  “Sorry, I can’t do that.”

  “Through Deloris? I know about her. I met her when Jeremey pulled her off the bridge.”

  Sylvia seemed surprised by my comment. When it came to Deloris, Jeremy could be very closed mouthed.

  “Yes. Deloris was a patient, and that’s where I met Jeremy. But she ceased to be a patient after her release from the hospital.”

  “That’s all for now. But I’ll be back after I check out a few things.”

  “If that includes checking my alibi, I could have my receptionist call Chatty and make sure she’s at the apartment and not out shopping.”

  “You got all the answers.”

  She smiled again. Any more and the desk was going to be used for something more than holding pencils.

  “You don’t trust people.” It was a statement not a question, but I answered anyway.

  “Nope.”

  “Such a shame.” Sylvia rose from her place behind the desk, and I got a good look at her legs. They were worth the wait.

  “Jeremy was a good friend, I take it?”

  “The best. He lost his arm saving my life.”

  A puzzled expression crossed her face before she spoke. “So, it was you. Deloris told me what happened, but never mentioned your name.”

  “We were good friends before that.”

  “Well, I hope you find your murderer.”

  We stared at each other until I remembered that I was supposed to be leaving. “Another time then.”

  “Yes.”

  The note in her voice and the gleam in her eye made me want to stay. I hoped I wasn’t misinterpreting the signals. With the room outside full of patients, it wasn’t the time to check the sound proofing of her office.

  CHAPTER 5

  The aluminum nameplate over the bell had her name only. Nice and simple. I rang the bell and waited to be buzzed in. I didn’t have to wait long. Sylvia lived on the fourth floor. Nice place. Classy without being pretentious. A groundhog in a white apron answered the door. “Mr. Wrench?”

  “Yeah. How…?”

  “Detective Barrow has been waiting for you.” The ground hog led me into the front room where Duke sat in a chair.

  “Hi, Kaiser.”

  “Find anything?”

  “Her story’s good. Not only does the maid confirm it, but a neighbor saw her come in. By the way, do be a little easier on the guys I assign to you.”

  “The last one was good for a laugh.”

  Duke scowled but didn’t comment.

  Like the office, Sylvia’s apartment was simple yet comfortable. Books on psychology were the only things on her bookshelf other than her diploma. A hallway led from the living room to the bed, bath, and kitchen areas. The Maid’s room was off the foyer where I came in.

  Aside from the oversized couch that was giving me interesting ideas to test out, the place seemed right enough.

  “You done?” asked Duke.

  “Guess so.”

  Chatty scurried to the front door. When she opened it, a bell chimed.

  “That thing go off every time?”

  “Yes, sir. If I’m not here and Miss Gamal is working in the darkroom, she can still receive visitors without interrupting her work.”

  “Darkroom?”

  “Yes. Miss Gamal is a wonderful photographer.”

  Duke and I glanced at each other and strolled out the door. We didn’t say a word until we walked into the delicatessen across the street and sat down. Over a beer, he asked me how I was doing on the case to which I growled a negative then added, “The motive is what’s driving me crazy. Of course, I’m still gathering information.”

  “Ballistics co
uldn’t identify the gun. Other than we’re looking for a .45 we got nothing. Not even an old unsolved case.”

  “Not surprising. What about the party goers? Any of them own one?”

  “Nope. At least not officially.”

  I nursed my beer for at least a minute before Duke said, “Axel Dabrowski and Damien Styles moved into an apartment here in the city.”

  Scowling, I waited for the punch line.

  “Someone took a potshot at Dabrowski. Missed him by a whisker.”

  “Too bad. Did you catch the guy who did it?”

  “He claims it was you.”

  My scowl deepened and before I could say a word, Duke added, “The bullet matched the one that killed Jeremy.”

  I forgot about my beer and leaned closer. “And?”

  “Don’t worry, you’re in the clear. Dabrowski can run his yap all he wants, but we already have the ballistics on your gun, and they are not a match. Besides, we knew where you were. Those tails I put on you came in handy.”

  “Glad to hear it. Are you going to tell me where they moved to, or are you going to keep stringing me along?”

  “Right down the street. Same building as the Patterson twins, second floor.” He smiled again. “He really wants to see you behind bars.”

  “Maybe I should go see him and knock some sense into him.”

  Duke shrugged, and we finished our beers. Somehow, he managed to stick me with the check. Next time, he’d pay. We parted ways, and I headed straight for Dabrowski’s new digs.

  Ten to one Dabrowski tipped both the doorman and the super not to let me into the building, so I didn’t ask any questions, just walked into the building and got on an elevator. The weasel manning the controls took me to the second floor. I pulled a bill from my wallet and said, “The greens yours if you can tell me which apartment Dabrowski’s in. Him and his buddy are new to the building.”

  “So, you’re Kaiser Wrench. Dabrowski gave me a ten spot to forget his apartment number.”

  I bared my teeth and opened my coat so the weasel could see my gun. “Maybe this will jog your memory.”