I, the Tribunal Read online

  “No female has ever had me by the tail, but when I look at you, I start thinking of handing it over. Nice dress by the way. For a minute, I was wondering if you were wearing anything.”

  “Color coordination is always so difficult. Green looks dreadful on me, and white, unless it’s lined, always shows my stripes.”

  “Have you read the newspapers?”

  “No.” Sylvia gave me a worried glance.

  “Damien Styles is dead.”

  “That’s awful. How?”

  I pointed to a bench. “Let’s stop for a bit.”

  “Better not. I need to get the pups back to their mother. Walk with me, please, and tell me what happened.”

  “Sure.”

  I told Sylvia everything as we walked to the edge of the park. Her friend met us, and after the introductions and small talk, we said goodbye.

  The two of us continued walking in the direction of her apartment when a car drove up beside us. There was no time for second guesses. I saw Dabrowski’s ugly mug and pushed Sylvia out of the way as the rottweiler fired. He didn’t have time for a second shot but sent the car screeching down the road. No one was wandering this section of the street. Not even a cab.

  Sylvia was shaken but holding her own. I helped her up then looked for the bullet, hoping it hadn’t ricocheted into oblivion. Weirdly enough I found it stuck in a wooden post. Someone had propped a bunch of boards against the wall of the building. What they were planning on doing with them was a mystery to me, but I was able to dig the thing out of the wood with little effort.

  “Someone wants you gone. I suppose that means you’re getting close.” She stood watching with her arms tightly wrapped around her.

  “Dabrowski’s running scared to make a move like this.” I held up the bullet I pulled out of the post. “But I’ve got him dead to rights. Now let’s get you home.”

  She remained quiet on the walk to the car. Once inside and driving to her place she asked, “Do you think your promise to Jeremy is why Dabrowski is scared of you?”

  “Maybe.” I wasn’t about to tell Sylvia that I didn’t actually make that promise. Not verbally anyway, but what the newspaper printed was what I’d been thinking, and that was good enough for me.

  “You know something, don’t you?”

  “Nothing more than the police already know. Incentive is what I have in spades.”

  We got to her place around ten.

  “This is Chatty’s day off.” Sylvia searched her purse for the key. The bell chimed as soon as the door opened. “Go ahead and make a drink while I get cleaned up.”

  “Sure. If you don’t mind, I need to make a call.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  She disappeared down the hall, and I called Duke.

  “You got anything new, Kaiser?”

  “Dabrowski just took a pot shot at me. Would you believe I have the bullet?”

  “Are you at the hospital?”

  “No, I’m fine. Luck was with me, and he hit a wooden post.”

  “Lady Luck is going to bite you one of these days. Bring the bullet down to the station. I’ll be stuck here all day.”

  “Sure thing.”

  “And Kaiser, the slugs from Phillis and Styles are from the same gun as the one that killed Jeremy.”

  “Did you have any doubts?”

  “Not really.”

  After I hung up, I pulled the bullet out of my pocket and gave it a good stare. It wasn’t a dumdum, but a slug. The slug might match some other crime, but something told me it wouldn’t match the gun that killed Jeremy.

  I stuck the thing back in my pocket, headed straight to the kitchen, and found the bourbon in the cupboard along with ginger ale. Two high-ballls later I was holding the drinks.

  “Drinks are ready.”

  “Bring it to me, will you?”

  I should have knocked, but I didn’t. What I got was an eye full. Let’s just say her birthday suit was breathtaking because I certainly couldn’t breathe. She made a grab for her robe, while I shut my eyes and backed out of the room. Fat lot of good that did me. I swore I could still see her stripes.

  “You can open your eyes now.” She took the glass from my hand, and we both downed our drinks. The next thing I knew, she was in my arms; my lips were on hers. “Kaiser?”

  I didn’t let her finish the question. “No. Not yet.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to do this right, to do you right.” I then pushed her toward the bathroom. “Get your shower.” She went a little lazy eyed. Meanwhile I wondered what kind of five star idiot I was being. Once I heard the shower, I made another call. This time to Sylvia’s secretary.

  “Hello, Mr. Wrench,” she said once I identified myself. “Did your friend find you?”

  Realizing that I didn’t have to come up with some cockamamie story, I said, “You must be clairvoyant, I was just about to call you about them. Thanks for letting me know they’re on their way.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  I hung up the phone and made another highball. Dabrowski must have figured I’d go see Sylvia and took a chance. Too bad it failed.

  Once Sylvia was out of the bathroom and dressed, I asked, “How did you know I was coming to see you?”

  “I’ve expected you since the first time we met. Shouldn’t I have? Come to think of it, you did say you liked the hunt.”

  “You’re an exception.”

  We sat down on the couch, and she snuggled into my arms. When I told her about the call to her office, she was less than pleased. “You’re being careless. Kaiser, don’t you realize I’ve fallen in love with you?”

  “I kind of figured that, because I know I’m sinking fast.” Lord, she had me feeling like a young cub.

  “Good. Now are you going to tell me why you came to see me? Besides just wanting to?”

  “How?”

  She kissed me on the nose and smiled. “Don’t forget, I’m a practicing psychiatrist. Mind reading may not be my bag, but reading people is.”

  I had to chuckle at that. “Okay, I’ll spill. What do you know about Damien Styles?”

  “Styles, I knew it.” She pulled away and tucked her legs beneath her. “He was pre-med, but from what you mentioned, that’s not what he was actually doing. Isn’t procuring females like that difficult?”

  “Not really. They’re alone, away from home. Styles looked like a shepherd, farm females are used to shepherds being protectors, so they tend to trust a little too much.”

  “Oh. Well, I met him after a lecture I did at one of the colleges. He seemed gifted.”

  “Did you talk of anything other than psychology?”

  “Not that I can recall. When he wasn’t at the dorm, he was either visiting Dabrowski or staying in an apartment near the clinic. Styles seemed very single minded. Other than the scrape Jeremy got him out of, there was nothing but work.”

  “Did he ever make a play for you?”

  Sylvia shook her head. “No.” Her eyes wandered before settling once again on me. “Did he kill Jeremy?”

  “Good question. While it’s possible Jeremy had something on Styles, I can’t see him being such a soft touch that he wouldn’t march Styles straight to the authorities. Unless he was still looking for solid proof.”

  “And the female, what was her name?”

  “Phillis. The killer got both Styles and her.”

  “How did they know he would be there, or did Styles go to meet them? Sorry, that sounds convoluted.”

  “Not really.” I rubbed her cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll find this guy, and I’ll put a slug in his gut the same way he did Jeremy.”

  The wide-eyed look she gave me had me wondering if she thought I should be committed. “Did the war do this to you? Make you so hard?”

  “No, I was born this way. The war only helped me to focus. Society has their rules, but I’m the one who delivers justice for those who fall through the cracks.”

  She checked her watch. “Unfortun
ately, I have an appointment at two.”

  “Then I’ll drive you back to the office.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Anytime.”

  We took our time on the drive back. Before she got out of the car I said, “Dabrowski probably won’t try the same trick with your secretary. But if he does, have her tell him to meet you on the corner, then call me so I can set up an ambush.”

  “I’ll do that. And if Barrow calls?”

  “Confirm the shooting, but don’t tell him about planning an ambush. If I get the chance, I want Dabrowski all to myself.”

  She kissed me before getting out of the car, and I watched her walk into the office. I could hardly believe she was all mine.

  Distracted as I was, I didn’t see Clancy until he was right up by my window. “Hi, Kaiser.”

  “Clancy, what are you doing here?”

  “I work up this way.”

  “No kidding. Where you headed? If it’s downtown, I can give you a ride.”

  Clancy gave me one of his dimwitted stares before answering. “I could do that first delivery first, I guess. Canal street. Then I can work my way back.”

  “Climb in then.”

  He hopped into the passenger seat but leaned out the window to wave at the people we passed by.

  I asked him, “You hear from Dabrowski lately?”

  “Nope. One of the guys said he’s not employing anyone anymore. Do you think something’s happened to him?”

  “Possible. What about Pat’s place? Anything new.”

  “No. But nobody talks to me anymore over there. They think I’m a tough guy just like you.”

  I dropped Clancy off at Canal street along with his big goofy grin. Clancy was a good egg.

  CHAPTER 10

  Duke was at the firing range located in the basement of the building. The German shepherd was a perfectionist and was not happy with his present score. Considering most guys I know can’t hit the broadside of a barn, Duke was a near perfect shot.

  I’m better.

  I strolled up to the slot next to his, pulled out my .45, and blasted a target.

  “Show off,” he growled.

  “Don’t bite my ass, I get more practice than you.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Duke emphasized his point with an eye roll. “You got the bullet?”

  “Right here.” I put my rod away and pulled the slug he was asking about out of my pocket.

  He took it and examined it before giving me a head nod toward the elevators. When we got to the ballistics lab, the place was empty.

  Duke went straight to the gizmo that would magnify the markings on the slugs and stuck the one I gave him into a slot. He must have had the slug from Jeromy’s killer near at hand because he didn’t hesitate and turned on the machine.

  “Kill the lights will you.”

  “Will do,” I said and flipped the switch.

  The image of both slugs shown on the wall. He rotated each one trying to find a match. After a while, he leaned back in his chair. “No dice.”

  “If Dabrowski is our guy, he used a different gun.”

  “It doesn’t seem likely. Especially when he claims someone tried to kill him.”

  “Dabrowski wouldn’t be the first mug who decided to say they were in danger to throw the hounds in blue of their scent.”

  Disgusted at the results, Duke called in one of his males to take care of the grunt work. Photography and filing evidence were below his paygrade.

  When we got back to his office, Duke had me go over the whole shooting incident. He hates paperwork, so I wrote out the report while he put his feet up and mulled over everything I said. Duke didn’t need things written down to remember them. Sometimes I think he’s part elephant with the details he can spout off at a moment’s notice.

  Strangely enough, there were a lot of guys on the force like him. The newspapers gave them too hard a time, claimed they were nothing but incompetents. If it wasn’t for being hogtied with all the rules and regulations, the police could have the cities crime cleaned up in no time.

  “Thanks for helping on this case, Kaiser.”

  “Anytime.”

  “I just wish I had something to add. The problem is, the killer could be anyone. The head of the prostitution syndicate, I doubt Dabrowski was running it. Revenge by one of the females they pulled in. Jeromy could have just gotten in the way.”

  “No. This guy stood and watched Jeromy suffer.”

  Duke eyed me for a while before saying, “Come on, we got a friend of yours in interrogation.”

  He had a way of dangling things in front of me in a way I couldn’t resist going after. I followed and low and behold, the old goat from the whore house was there.

  “Where did you find her?”

  “One of my patrolmen got suspicious and pulled her in off the street. Female goats aren’t something he was used to seeing at four in the morning.”

  I gave her a toothy grin, but she just stared back at me. “How did you get out?”

  Duke smiled as well and sat opposite the female. “Guess will have to charge you with murder.”

  That got her. “I didn’t kill anyone.”

  “Okay, accessory than. You guided the murder out a secret passage.”

  “I did not.”

  “The D.A. isn’t about to pull any of his pin feathers out over you. Answer our questions or it’s jail time for you.”

  The old goat opened and closed her mouth several times before saying a word. “No one was with me.”

  “Where’s the exit? The killer could have followed you.”

  “Under the stair, the lever to unlock it is carved into the woodwork.”

  I decided to butt in here. “So, you saw the cops and bolted. Who was with you?”

  “No one.”

  “Anyone on the stair?”

  “No.”

  At this point, she busted into tears, and we couldn’t get another word in passed her bleating. Duke and I left her in the room so that we could talk.

  “Do you believe her,” asked Duke.

  “It’s possible the killer was going to exit with the crowd, but our arrival messed up his plans. If he saw her use the secret exit, he could have easily followed her without her noticing. You know what prey animals are like when they get scared.”

  “Tunnel vision.”

  “Exactly.” I thought for a bit before asking. “Do you think we’ll be able to track his scent once we find the exit?”

  “Not if the floor’s covered with a substance that ruins a dog’s sense of smell.” Duke rubbed his snout. Rookies were warned to watch where they sniffed. The bad guys tended to lay nasty traps that would have a cop in the hospital with a doctor flushing out their sinus cavities.

  The secret door was right where the Madam Nannie said it would be. It led into the basement of the house next door. The basement exit was also hidden. Duke hand been right about the scent traps.

  Frustrated and standing in the middle of the foyer Duke said, “Were still working on Damien Styles movements for the last twenty years.”

  “And?”

  “We’re not done yet, but about two dozen schools have him signed up. He’d usually last a month, sometimes a semester. Multiple females would then drop out. The numbers tell us he was gathering quite a flock.”

  Duke gave me a scowl. “How did Styles get past you when you were camped out at the door?”

  “Don’t know, but then I had to park up wind for a good view. Both he and the killer must have been wearing disguises. That is if I could recognize the killer from somewhere. Those rooms are soundproofed, but I don’t think Styles would have willingly walked into a bullet. Good question as to why he was even in Phillis’ room.”

  “We’ve got too many questions and not enough answers.”

  Duke was right, but there was one question I figured I could get an answer too. The Patterson twin’s black feather.

  After leaving Duke at the house, I headed toward the twin’s digs. A
bout a block away, I ate dinner and used the payphone to call them up. That was around nine o’clock.

  One of them answered on the third ring. “Hello?”

  “Am I speaking to Annabel or Francine Patterson? This is Kaiser Wrench.”

  The voice on the other end of the line hesitated before saying, “Francine.”

  “Do you have time for me to come up and ask you a few questions?”

  “You’re asking questions now.”

  I had to chuckle at her attempted wit. “This would be easier in person.”

  “Very well. When can I expect you?”

  “I’m just around the corner. I’ll be right up.”

  After hanging up, I bounded down the street straight for their apartment. When Francine opened the door, she looked just like her sister. The evening dress she wore hugged every curve. Francine seemed friendly enough.

  I sat down on the couch just as before and we both had drinks. Francine debated before sitting next to me.

  “What can I do for you Mr. Wrench?”

  “For starters, how well did you know Jeremy Wilkins?”

  “Casually. We attended many of the same parties. He was a very amiable lion.”

  “And Axel Dabrowski?”

  “A hideous hound. Not at all a gentleman. He was absolutely beastly during Jeremy’s party.”

  Francine shifted in her seat in a way that made her short skirt rise a bit higher on her legs. She must have noticed me noticing her because she tugged the skirt back down. It wasn’t a successful endeavor.

  “Mind if I ask you what you do for a living?” I knew the answer already, but I figured, what the heck.

  “Private income, the same as my sister. Are you looking for a rich mate?”

  “Not really.”

  “We have a forty-acre estate with lovely gardens, but perhaps you would be more interested in the fields or woods?”

  I couldn’t help but whistle. “That’s a bit more than just a plot of land.”

  “Would you like to see it? This Saturday we’re having a small gathering to watch a tennis match. Deloris Shaffer will be there. I insisted she come. The poor lioness needs to be around people after what’s happened.”

  “That’s nice of you. I’ll see about driving her. Will there be anyone else I might know?”