Episode Three
Early the next morning, John Barry, accompanied by his partners George and Sam, arrived at the address of the former Merrick home in time to see a huge truck being loaded with rubble from the fire by a small front loader. Peter Lynch, arson investigator and his photographer from the Houston Fire and Arson Investigative Unit, were also on the scene, along with Lloyd Arnold and Tina Ferranti of the crime lab, as John approached them.
“Good morning, I’m John Barry I was told you’d be expecting us sir,” said John, shaking Peter’s hand.
“Of course Jack told me you’d be here today, may I introduce you to our photographer Bill Kelly and Lloyd and Tina, two of the most experienced crime lab investigators we have. Unfortunately we’ve been here for the last three days, trying to make sure we don’t miss a thing,” said Peter.
“Good to meet you all and may I introduce you to George and Sam my partners. We are employed by Nathan March Investigations and we are hoping to learn what happened here to Albert and Tameka Merrick,” said John.
“Is Mr. March in Houston?” asked Tina Ferranti.
“Yes ma’am, he is,” answered John politely.
“Now you’ve made her day,” said Lloyd Arnold laughing.
“Look after what I have to look at day in and day out from charred wood to charred flesh, I’ve developed a real appreciation for someone as fine a man as that detective is. I mean after seeing him on TV I know he’s definitely my type, no offense to you very handsome but very young men,” said Tina.
“None taken, ma’am,” said John thinking he liked this lady a lot.
“Sir, I do all the communications jobs needed on each case, and I was wondering if any flash drives or CD’s were found, or by some miracle any hard copy survived the fire?” asked Sam.
“There’s not a lot, but there is a box of flash drives and about a dozen folders in a fire proof file cabinet that only suffered some minor melting and some smoke damage. It’s at the lab,” said Lloyd.
“Also I have the safe deposit box key that was taped to the inside of that file cabinet and once I determine the bank that it belongs to, I intend to use it because that’s where I’d keep anything I didn’t want someone to find,” said Tina.
“Why don’t you look around a bit and then we can meet back at the lab and we’ll show you what we’ve got so far. I know you know not to touch anything,” said Peter Lynch.
“Yes, sir the three said in unison as they waded through the debris now dry and brittle after being thoroughly soaked during the fire three days earlier. They had to keep reminding themselves that this once was a four bedroom split-level home. The destruction was complete and the idea that the arson squad might find anything of use was lost to each of them on seeing the level of damage someone, or several perps did to this home.
“I know you’ve seen worse in your work, but I tell you John whoever did this, they wanted the occupants of this house to have no exit point. The arsonists even spilled accelerant onto the back of the house, so the fire would travel upward to the back windows blocking their escape that way too,” said Peter shaking his head.
“The house is set back far enough that the neighbors wouldn’t have seen the fire until it was fully engaged,” said George.
“That’s right and so far no one has come forward saying they’ve seen a thing,” said Peter.
“Are there any preliminary findings regarding the bodies themselves?” asked Sam.
“No yet, this was a swift moving and extremely hot fire with very little care taken to cover the fact that it was arson,” said Peter.
“It’s was a big house with a big garage so the fire might have been smoldering for hours before coming in contact with the accelerant that sent the flames from basement to the roof,” said John.
“The night of the fire on discovering the bodies, the police were sent for immediately. Unfortunately because the place was coming down around us, first responders had to move the bodies outdoors. That scene was like a circus with the proper personnel coming and going. There was the medical examiner, coroner, pathologist, and our two evidence technicians, along with Kelly our photographer, the EMT’s who were treating three of the fire fighters for smoke inhalation all doing their jobs despite the press interference that drove us all crazy. They didn’t seem to care that they were in our faces and keeping us all from doing our best.
“Believe me we know what you mean about the press,” said George.
“After a fire scene is thoroughly gone over, each of us contributes our own analysis in writing, which becomes the way we construct a complete picture of what happened for our bosses who put the report including all our findings together to complete our part of the investigation. At the end of today we’ll be completing our investigation so portions of that report will start coming together, in a few weeks.
“It was obvious from the start that this was a double homicide by arson, no doubt about that. However, I will tell you this in confidence, according to the two detectives on scene each of the Merricks were shot at very close range before the fire, so the arsonist could take his time setting the fire for maximum damage to the bodies, at least that’s the way it looked to both the cops and myself,” said Peter.
“Peter’s seldom wrong, I’ll tell you,” said Tina.
“Amen,” said Lloyd.
“The small wall safe survived the fire and it still contained several very expensive pieces of jewelry and about five grand in cash as well as a .38 snub nose, so robbery is out as a motive according to the police,” said Peter.
“Just to let you know, as of tomorrow 9:00AM both our bosses, will be taking over the case, which is SOP for major cases with well-known victims,” said Lloyd as Peter smiled his agreement.
“Yup we get the pleasure of choking on the smoke, digging through the grime and watery muck, then looking at it all under microscopes for hours for any trace evidence, while the upper echelon in both departments get the pleasure of reporting all our findings,” said Tina with no real resentment in her voice.
As George finally joined them again, he looked totally puzzled.
“Inspector Lynch I don’t get it. Whoever did this fire and the shootings seemed far too cavalier to me. It’s as if they were only invested in the Merrick’s being dead when they left the premises. Why not do a clean and unsuspicious fire pointing to carelessness as the cause of death for both the Merricks? That way it’s over and no one’s the wiser,” said George.
“Maybe the murders were a last minute decision, and the one needing it all to be done, had to choose from dumb, dumber, and dumber still, instead of a real professional hit man who was also a professional arsonist,” said Peter.
“It’s also possible that they have inside people who could play with your findings and no matter what evidence you presented, their person or persons “could be in a position to cover it all up. I’m sure it’s happened elsewhere,” said Sam.
“No comment,” said Peter
“I didn’t mean any offense to you, Peter,” said Sam.
“None taken,” said Peter.
“John’s call to Peter brought him to the spot where Sam was pointing at a small charred piece of a headboard.
“Sir if we’re not mistaken that’s a .22 shell casing beside the burnt wood there,” said John.
“I slipped on that piece of charred wood and there it was,” said Sam.
“Don’t apologize my good man, I know how much the police hoped they’d find one of these and how disappointed they were that they didn’t. That’s partially why we came back, just for a last look,” said Peter scooping up the shell casing which the shooter never would have left behind had he seen it.
“Why don’t we head to the lab and let you see what else we have there to as a reward for this piece of evidence found by your team John,” said Lloyd.
“Fine with me,” said John as the rubble was still being loaded onto the huge truck for its trip later in the day, to the crime lab.
“John, a minute please,” said Sam anxiously.
“The brick house there on the left, a woman’s been watching us the whole time and something tells me, with a little encouragement she may have something to say to us that she wouldn’t say to the cops,” said Sam.
Often John’s blonde crew cut and huge brown eyes set in a truly handsome face, to say nothing of his masculine gait, moved even the most hesitant female witness to offer some information just to get his attention. So off John went in the direction of the brick house.
After knocking, when the door opened the attractive young black woman was pleasant, but not welcoming in the least.
“Good afternoon ma’am,” said John flashing his identification.
“The name’s John Barry and I’m part of a private investigation into the deaths of Albert and Tameka Merrick a few days ago,” John added.
“Yeah, I noticed all of you out there. I’m Ronnie Perry and honestly I have nothing to tell you about it,” said the very reticent young woman.
“I realize everyone’s probably been crawling all over you trying to get some information, so I won’t add to your frustration. The truth is that the couple who lived in that house had very important information to testify to regarding a criminal case in which the man convicted and later executed, may not have been guilty of anything.
“That man’s son is our client, and he is desperate to clear his father’s name. Is there anything at all you can recall about the night of the fire that seemed unnatural to you at the time? A car canvasing the area, strange noises, or even just a feeling that something wasn’t right across the way at the Merrick’s?” John inquired.
“Why don’t you come in?” said Ronnie.
“Thank you ma’am,” said John.
“George and Sam, sitting in John’s SUV waiting for him to return so they could go to the crime lab, never got used to the way John managed to work his way into the hearts of every female he ever questioned, and this time was no different.
“Guys we’ll see you at the crime lab,” said Lloyd followed by a wave, as his vehicle pulled out of the long driveway behind Tina and Peter’s vehicles.
“Have you got another one of those for me?” asked George of Sam who was happily chewing a granola bar, in between drinking an iced tea.
“It never fails to amaze me how my being prepared for situations where I might need sustenance in between meals, benefits you,” said Sam handing over both a granola bar and a bottle of ice tea from his cooler.
“You love me, admit it,” said George inhaling the health bar in two bites.
Another ten minutes would pass before John opened the rear door to the SUV and hopped in.
“Boy was that worth the trouble. Let’s head to the crime lab and then we need to meet Nathan at Detective McArdle’s office,” said John folding a piece of paper and putting it in his shirt pocket.
Nathan’s appearance at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, with a stunning and flirtatious red head between Mickey and himself, had the attention of everyone they passed on their way into the base’s Wilford Hall Medical Center.
Fr. Quinlan’s on-going friendship with internist Dr. Amir Hussein during his tour in Afghanistan had the kind physician leave a message to be called when Mr. March arrived at Mike Dempsey’s hospital room.
The sight of the bruised and battered young Marine, tugged Nathan’s heartstrings plenty, as he placed his hand gently over Mike Dempsey’s as Mickey and Abby stood on the other side of the bed.
“Mr. March, glad to meet you sir,” said Dr. Hussein. I know that Cpl. Dempsey looks bad, but I assure you he’s doing quite well for all he’s been through. We still have a way to go before we are comfortable with his recovery. He still has blood in his urine, his shoulder was dislocated and his head injuries, although not nearly as serious as previously thought, have done some damage to his sight, which we are hoping is temporary.
“He’s a remarkable young man who has been probed and pricked with needles endlessly in the last three days, yet when he is awake he displays a very refreshing sense of humor about it all.
“Fr. Jeff told me something of the turmoil this young man has been in for quite some time regarding his father. Losing the grandfather who raised him, and his father just months apart under the worst of circumstances, will impact him now that he is close to home and his past. I’m hoping your relationship with him will be a source of comfort to him,” said the doctor.
“I promise you that’s my hope too, believe me. Doctor, what are the chances that with some more time Mike will be able to be moved to Houston and a home I intend to rent during our investigative process. With your guidance we can provide him with the best of care and have him back for you to examine whenever you feel it’s necessary,” said Nathan.
“His superiors tell me that Mike had less than five months duty left on his tour and now his condition makes any active service over for him because of the head injury and his vision problems. Therefore Mr. March, my job is to get him well enough to go home. He has an honorable discharge coming to him and I want him to see well enough to celebrate that discharge with his friends,” said Dr. Hussein.
“Now that is great news,” said Nathan.
“Depends on how you look at it sir,” said a hoarse Mike Dempsey, coming out of a deep sleep and opening his eyes to faintly see his doctor and the notable detective, Nathan March.
“Mike, I’m Nathan March and I won’t keep you long, I just have a few questions, if you’re up to it?” asked Nathan.
“Good to meet you sir, and yes I’m up to it, right Doc?” said Mike.
“All your guests have is ten minutes today, NCIS is also waiting to talk to you, but I’ll give you a chance to talk to Mr. March before I let them know you’re awake,” said Dr. Hussein.
“Understood doctor,” said Nathan.
“Good to meet you Mr. March and I look forward to talking with you again,” said Dr. Hussein.
Now Mickey and Abby were introduced and the question and answer session they all waited for began in earnest, with each of the three taking their time to be sure they weren’t wearing Mike out.
They came away satisfied that there were only two assailants hired by Carmella Nunez and since all three of them were now deceased it would be next to impossible to prove that Gillian Solomon or county D.A. Frost had anything to do with the attempted murder of Claude Dempsey’s son.
It was important to Nathan, that a second attempt on Mike’s life be prevented at all cost so Nathan remained with Mike until the two NCIS investigators arrived to make sure they knew the background behind Mike’s emergency leave and the danger he could still be in now that he was back in Texas and looking into his father’s case with a well-known private investigative team assisting him.
Promptly two very large MPs took their post on either side of the door leading into Mike’s room, giving the three investigators a reason to feel their client was safe.
“I swear to you Tony if those two men you sent to handle the Merricks made any mistakes, I’ll personally mutilate their bodies while they’re still alive,” said Gillian Solomon as she paced in a circle in the center of the massive room with the floor to ceiling fireplace.
“Gillian there’s nothing to worry about. Your orders were to take them out and not to lead anyone back to you. Even with a two-hour notice, they did what you wanted to the letter,” said Tony Carpetti.
“I hope so Tony. Seeing Nathan March’s picture in the paper with all of his associates and knowing that they are here to upend this case, I’m not so sure we can keep it all under wraps without more trouble,” said Gillian.
“Nathan March is just a multi-millionaire who needs to stick his nose in where it doesn’t belong to feel like he matters. He’s a trouble junkie who can’t enjoy himself unless he’s rescuing someone. No matter what you think Gillian, he can be gotten to, especially once we start taking those he cares about away permanently. Then you’ll see the man he really is and that’s when you’ll pity him more than fear him,” said Tony.
“That statement proves to me that you haven’t got the brains of a piss ant. This guy will eat you for breakfast if you get in his way. I’m not saying he’d kill you, or even order it done. I am saying that you play it as stupid as you sound now, and you’ll wish you were dead, when he confronts you. I’ve studied him ever since I spent time with him, a very long time ago.
“I know he’s what he appears to be, and that fact scares me plenty right now. Believe me when he decides to get involved in a wrong doing and undo it, men like you become even stupider than usual and under the influence of fear, jealousy or envy you screw up and get those around you, as well as yourself, put away. I’ll see you dead before that happens to me, so never let my words leave your mind, until this whole thing is cleared up to my satisfaction. Have you got that?” said Gillian.
“Yeah, I got that,” said Tony Carpetti knowing he’d killed men for insulting him far less than Gillian had at the moment. He realized once again that she only felt comfortable tearing him down since she and her sister’s husband, the county D.A., starting their affair that only grew hotter with time. Before that, he was the golden boy she shared her bed with and spent many thousands on.
Now Montgomery Frost had her walking on air. She’d even discussed possibly ridding him of his wife, her younger sister to make the relationship more permanent. Lately she’d gotten even more serious about the idea when he was mentioned as a possible candidate for U.S. Attorney General, replacing the current occupant holding the position, early next year.
“I do agree that we need to remove a certain Houston police detective to close the stream of official police information from March regarding the Merrick’s and Claude Dempsey. This time you take care of it yourself,” said Gillian.
“Any preferences as to how?” asked Tony.
“No, just don’t hurt his family. I know his wife Dede, and she adores the man so just make it as painless as possible for the guy and give her the opportunity of having an open coffin,” said Gillian.
“I won’t promise that, because it’s not always possible,” said Tony.
“He’ll be on his way home soon, how about an accident deadly enough to make the six o-clock news. You know I liked the way my former number one took out Evelyn Dempsey, Claude’s wife. He told me that he involved another car by forcing it into her driver’s side door at 60 miles an hour. The other driver died too and got the blame for it all,” said Gillian with a big smile.
“Works for me,” said Tony placing a call to an associate who specialized in freaky auto accidents, on demand.
The nearly three-hour drive gave Abby and Nathan a chance to talk about the case as Mickey drove from San Antonio to Houston in a more up-beat mood than he had been thanks to the fact that Mike Dempsey was going to make it and be honorably discharged.
“Abby, you’ve got some great insight into this case and I think you are a real asset to us at this time. However, I need you to stop goading Mickey. I wouldn’t have said anything but you are still a raw spot on his soul, and it’s not been easy on him, having you around again,” said Nathan.
“Why is it guys presume they are the only ones who get hurt when a relationship blows up? Nathan if you tell him what I’m about to tell you, I will be very unhappy,” said Abby.
“I don’t like secrets Abby, but this once I will keep what you tell me to myself,” said Nathan.
“After Mickey ended our affair, I was more than a little unhappy. We were just finishing up on the Florida case we worked on, when he set me straight by telling me that he couldn’t handle my using my sexuality as a lure. He said the thought that I might actually go as far as having sex with a man to elicit important information, made him nuts and that any chance that he could trust me was rapidly eroding.
“I couldn’t believe that he didn’t know me better by that time. I also couldn’t believe that two people, who couldn’t keep their hands off each other, couldn’t find a way to believe in each other and trust in the love they had for each other. I hurt Nathan, I hurt plenty and then I learned that I was two months pregnant.
“How could I tell him that we were expecting a baby after he’d told me what he thought of my contribution to an investigation and basically said he couldn’t trust me anymore not to give myself to any man who had information I needed. So, I left Tampa and went home to my Aunt who welcomed me with no questions and no judgment. When I was five and half months along, our baby was threatening to be born.
“I was admitted to the hospital the same day and they did everything they could to slow down the contractions but our baby was determined to be born, so that evening just before midnight Mickey’s daughter Trinity was born prematurely to a very frightened mother. She was so beautiful and so fragile and when I held her tiny body it was like holding a bag of feathers, she was so light. She had a smile Nathan, Mickey’s smile which she smiled all the time up until she died of pneumonia at ten weeks old. I still can see her face and I’ll remember that smile until I die.
“Sometimes Nathan, it’s best to let things alone and give them a chance to die a natural death. It’s been eighteen months since I buried my baby girl and I’m not the same person I was when Mickey knew me. I know now that what I do is valuable and a lot of people are very grateful I am so good at lulling dangerous men into a false sense of security, and then pulling all the information from them that I can. This case is important to me Nathan, because it brought me back to face Mickey and realize that although I’m hardly over him, I can use this time to make peace within myself and maybe even help him to do the same,” said Abby.
“Abby, I wouldn’t hurt you for the world but I wish to God you had come to me with all of this so you didn’t go through it all alone. You have to tell him Abby, he needs to know what sent you away and what you went through. Trinity was his daughter too,” said Nathan.
“Nathan, it can do no good now and I will hold you to your promise not to tell him anything. In return I will stop goading him, I promise,” said Abby.
When the car arrived back in Houston, at the Hyatt Regency, Abby excused herself and told Nathan she had an errand to run, and she’d be back shortly.
Mickey watched as she hailed a taxi, got in and eventually her ride joined all the traffic that was heading away from the hotel, then it was out of sight.
“I guess she’s meeting someone,” said Mickey.
“She said she had an errand,” said Nathan.
“Yeah, of course,” said Mickey.
“Mickey, I’ve just spent three hours with that young lady, and I think she’s the definition of a “woman”. She’s got all the stuff we men cherish but can’t seem to hold within ourselves for fear we’ll look weak. Inside woman like Abby, those things are strengths,” said Nathan.
“I’m not sure what brought on that testimony, but I respect your feelings for her and believe it or not, I’m no longer angry or even unhappy about the way things went between Abby and I. Looks like I’m getting over her, a little more each day, and I think it’s the same for her,” said Mickey.
“I’m glad for you both,” said Nathan trying to shake off the feeling that events were going on around him, that were not going to be to his liking at all.
It wasn’t long before Abby arrived at the Police Department and headed up the stairs to meet with Captain John McArdle.
“Good to see you again Abby, I did what you asked and pulled the paperwork from Eileen Dempsey’s file, and I’ve got to say I couldn’t find anything out of order in the police reports about the accident,” he said.
“Captain McArdle,” she said before she was interrupted.
“Call me Jack, please,” said the Captain.
“Okay Jack it is. I wanted you to look over that paperwork again Jack, even though I realize that it’s been several decades since that car accident, because I’ve got this gut feeling that Eileen Dempsey’s accident was staged. It just seems to me that the same individuals that wanted her husband Claude dead for David Solomon’s murder, might have wanted to remove any shred of hope from Claude Dempsey so he wouldn’t be able to take an active role in getting himself a new trial or at the very least another stay of execution. Gillian Solomon and her associates are more than capable of doing such a despicable thing, after all she framed Claude Dempsey,” said Abby.
“I got the files, from a soon to be retired police officer involved in processing Eileen Dempsey’s auto accident decades earlier, and he had something very interesting to tell me. He said that in those days if local law enforcement was suspicious about a car accident with fatalities, they requested police specialists like himself trained by the FBI, to conduct a more lengthy and comprehensive investigation of an accident scene.
“He said that months before Mrs. Dempsey’s fatality, his supervisor had sent him to Wichita Falls, to assist in the recreation of a car accident there in which the driver was struck on the driver’s side by another car and killed. The driver of the second car survived the crash but died later. The police specialist was told that a third vehicle had crossed lanes and pushed the second car into first car’s driver’s side door. The other person killed was scheduled to testify in a trial involving charges of racketeering. After the accident, charges were dismissed because of lack of evidence. Due to his heavy work load at the time, the police specialist had to move on and shelve his suspicions.
“On investigating the Dempsey fatality, he said that it was like looking at exactly the Wichita Falls accident scene except that this time the deceased included a woman. He said although the driver of the second car died too, the passenger didn’t and that passenger reported that another vehicle hit the car she was in and pushed it into Mrs. Dempsey’s car on the driver’s side. The officer tried to tell his superiors that he suspected foul play, but he was told to write it up as an accident as everyone else involved already had,” said Jack.
“Now that’s information Nathan’s going to want to hear in person,” said Abby thrilled that her woman’s intuition was working so well.
“I knew you’d say that and since I’m now officially “off duty” let me drive you back to your hotel and we’ll both talk to him,” said Jack.
“So the Merrick’s neighbor Ronnie Perry was helpful?” asked George as Sam drove the van to the crime lab.
“She sure was. She’s an R.N. who works in Intensive Care and she told me that she had just gotten back from a week’s vacation spent with her older sister in Dallas, on the night of the fire.
On pulling into her driveway she noticed there were no lights on at the Merrick house, across the street. But before she got her luggage out of the trunk, the lights went on upstairs. Again she didn’t think much about it, until they went out again. She said she just had a sense something wasn’t right over there, but she went inside her home.
“Peering out of her window, she noticed two figures, get into a newer model sedan and drive down the long driveway with no headlights on. Once they got to the street they put on the headlights and on passing her house, Ronnie said under the street lights she could see that the driver and passenger were men, young men and she even got most of their license plate number,” said John patting his shirt pocket indicating that’s where it was.
The lab crew from the Houston Fire and Arson Investigative Unit, were the most noble of people in John Barry’s opinion which he formed as he watched their no nonsense approach to handling the delicate evidence from the Merrick fire
There was reason to celebrate when the contents of the file cabinet was shown to them and the file folders found inside were absolutely going to assist them in their investigation.
“Lloyd you heard Jack McArdle tell us to cooperate fully with March and his people, so how about making some copies of the contents of those folders before they’re confiscated by HPD, since they already have copies of any prints that were on them,” said Peter.
“Sure will Pete,” said Lloyd.
“The contents of the safe deposit box, is on its way with Tina. She called to tell me that inside the box was a letter addressed to Michael Dempsey, to be opened only in the event of their death, and the only other item inside was their will and a business card belonging to their lawyer,” said Peter Lynch.
Sam Weiss was in his element watching the various tests being conducted including the restoration of the Merricks computer hard drive which didn’t appear to be capable of being saved, but he was told that wasn’t necessarily true anymore.
John and Sam were already reading the file copies made by Lloyd and realized they were now armed with some helpful information that only the Merrick’s could have provided. When Tina returned with the contents of the safe deposit box, Peter informed them that because the contents of the box were a part of the investigation being conducted, he’d have to alert the police to pick it up. He did offer to make a copy of the will, for them and then did that himself.
“Things are coming together Amigo,” said George to John.
“They are indeed,” responded a very pleased John Barry.
The trip back to the hotel would have been a lot happier had their van not come upon a fatal car accident. As they passed, the site of the Captain’s car mangled nearly beyond recognition, the site of Police using the Jaws of Life to extricate two bodies from it, made the hearts of Nathan’s three investigators freeze in their chests.
“Nathan, it’s John,” said John Barry into his cell phone, sounding as bad as he was feeling.
“Are you alright John?” asked Nathan.
“Not really sir, we just pulled over to see a two-car accident with fatalities,” said John Barry.
“That must be what’s holding up Jack and Abby who claim to have some very interesting news to share with us,” said Nathan.
“Sir, I hate to tell you this, but they…they won’t be coming to your hotel. You see they are two of the three victims, killed in the freak car accident we stumbled into,” said John who couldn’t stop shaking as he spoke.
“John, are you positive?” asked Nathan.
“The three of us just watched the police remove their bodies, along with a teenager’s body from the other car,” said John.
“I’m sure Mickey and I can’t get through the scene until it’s cleared so we’ll wait for your call and then we’ll head to the morgue,” said Nathan.
“We’ve pulled over and parked on a side street, only a block away from the scene. I’ll call when I have more to tell you,” said John, disconnecting the call.
“I know that I for one, thought Nathan was exaggerating about the danger we might be in on this case, however I don’t believe he was now,” said George.
“First they kill the four members of Houston’s police, then the Merricks, followed by killing Carmella Nunez and her two cohorts, and now they’ve killed two of our associates on the case,” said John, reaching for his cell phone.
“Nathan March here,” said Nathan.
“Sir, we need to take Ronnie Perry into protective custody, she’s the Merrick’s neighbor who gave me some information today about the fire. We aren’t going anywhere for a while, so I need to ask Mickey to get her to safety,” said John.
“Call her and let her know to pack a few things and tell her we’re bringing I.D. for her to check,” said Nathan.
Nathan observed Mickey closely after the two men identified Abby Carter’s body. They were also asked to officially identify the body of Captain John McArdle, to spare his wife the task. The young teenage boy, a local high-school quarterback racing to a scrimmage game across town after being tutored in math, was already blamed for the accident. According to the police, he tried to change lanes and spun out so that the front end of his car headed for the driver side door of Jack’s sedan like a metal projectile racing toward its target.
John McArdle’s face still looked perfect because at the last minute his arms covered it, and were ripped open by windshield glass for their trouble. His body was nearly crushed from the waist down from the impact, while Abby never knew what hit her, as a large shard of glass opened a wound in her neck and chest, and she bled out within minutes.
A very frightened Ronnie Perry sat in Police Headquarters where Nathan and Mickey had brought her earlier on their way to the morgue. The young woman flew into John’s arms as he arrived to provide her with round the clock protection. She had made her statement to the police about what she saw the night of the Merrick fire. That along with the fact that the thumb print from the .22 caliber casing found at the fire scene which Peter Lynch turned over to HPD, matched a known criminal, and finally pushed the Merrick autopsy reports to the forefront.
Nathan’s involvement would assure it received even greater attention since Captain John McArdle, now deceased, had been assisting March Investigations on his own time, to reopen cases involving several questionable deaths, in Houston.
After failing to address the other members of the team he’d put together, Mickey departed from the Hyatt without giving Nathan any notice later the same day. When he didn’t join them for dinner they realized he had just vanished.
John, George and Sam walked on eggshells for the next five days as Nathan held himself together without any show of panic or resentment. During his meditation Nathan’s spirit was so weakened by the deaths of Jack and Abby, followed by Mickey’s disappearance that he couldn’t make sense of the images he saw in his mind’s eye. Therefore his activities were limited to the case and making plans for Mike Dempsey’s hospital discharge and Abby’s funeral whenever her body was released.
Out of respect for his well-known friendship with Captain McArdle the forensic pathologist from the Medical Examiner’s office took a few moments from his heavy work schedule, to call Nathan. At the same time he reported that both of the Merricks had been shot twice, once in the head and once in the heart, before they were left to burn with their property. That information was privileged so Nathan acted accordingly.
Nathan immediately called Peter Lynch to thank him immensely for his help with all the copies of the files from the filing cabinet once in Albert Merrick’s home office, as well as a copy of the Merrick will from the wall safe. The will already had been read cover to cover revealing that Merrick at one time had been so callous as to let his client suffer the indignity of being convicted as a murderer, twice, and then given a lethal injection.
Within minutes of disconnecting their call, the Medical Examiner’s office called and another forensic pathologist gave him the message that Abby Carter’s autopsy was done and her body would be released the following morning. He was told in confidence that her death was caused by exsanguination, so it probably was not a prolonged event.
Another call was placed to Peter Lynch. “Peter, if you were going to get the best there is to reconstruct an automobile accident, who would it be?” asked Nathan.
“Well Martin Kowalski is God when it comes to putting an accident back together and finding the cause. He lost his own sixteen year old twenty years ago and believe me, he won’t leave any room for guessing as to what happened and heaven help the perpetrators, if the accident is no accident. They can kiss their freedom goodbye, if Marty’s on the case.
“Also my new friend, if he agrees to help, you might want to have your best people protecting him, because the tiny guy knows nothing of protecting himself, and with all that’s gone on so far in your investigation, it’s a good bet you have upset some very nasty people,” said Peter.
“That’s my thought exactly. Peter I just have a feeling I will need to speak with you again and if you would rather I didn’t, now’s the time to tell me.
“Nathan March, you call me night or day and I’ll answer,” said Peter Lynch, to the total relief and appreciation of his new friend.
The knock on his hotel suite’s door was short and brisk, but when he opened the door Nathan wasn’t prepared for what he saw. The sight of Mickey’s filthy appearance with a battered face and bloody knuckles as he was being held up by the same two plain clothes men who accompanied Captain John McArdle everywhere he went, had Nathan take a large cold breath, and then embrace his wounded friend.
John Barry on his way to Nathan’s suite to discuss Mickey’s disappearance, came through the open door, saw his beaten friend and freeing him from the arms of the two policemen, he scooped him up as if he were a sack full of wet clothes. He placed him on Nathan’s bed, unashamed of the tears flowing down his face at the sight of the man he loved like a brother.
“Mr. March we found him passed out near a park bench across the street. From the looks of him he did plenty of crawling to get there. We both felt that his hotel suite would be easier to protect day and night. We brought him here on the service elevator thinking we could get a physician we know well and trust even more, to fix him up. However, if you want us to bring him to the hospital we will sir,” said Officer Kenneth Hernandez with his partner Farley Coombs agreeing with him.
Nathan reached for both men hugging them and thanking them for finding Mickey. “Now that we’ve got him back, let’s get a hold of that doctor friend of yours,” said Nathan.
Mickey Stone had never looked this wounded or vulnerable and despite the blood, the swelling of his face and the dirt he’d picked up, everyone in Nathan’s suite, including Ronnie Perry, was whispering a thank you prayer for his return.
As Ronnie was introduced to him, she told Mickey she was an R.N. and she was just going to clean him up a bit before the doctor got there. Mickey smiled into her face as if he knew everything was going to be alright.
“Boss, I’m so sorry, it’s my own fault,” said Mickey in anguish from his injuries.
“It’s okay Mickey, I wanted to form a search party for you days ago, but I had a knowing that you’d be coming home alive,” said Nathan clinging to Mickey Stone in thanksgiving for a another chance with his closest friend.
“What happened Mickey?” asked John Barry unable to remain quiet another minute longer.
“I went to the police department, because I figured Abby had gone there to squeeze out any information she could from Captain McArdle or whomever. I sat at Jack’s desk and one of the older cops saw me. He sat down beside me and told me his friend, Dr. Frank Bartlett from the forensic lab, had talked with Jack and the pretty young lady Jack had in his office the day he died.
“He placed a call to his friend and within minutes Dr. Bartlett arrived and told me that Jack and Abby came to believe as he did years ago, that Eileen Dempsey’s accident was no accident. He said that Jack had called him away from the forensic lab where he worked to ask him about Eileen’s accident. He told Jack that although it was a long time ago, he remembered that he had investigated a suspicious car crash identical to it only months earlier. The victim in that accident was a man who was set to testify against a mob affiliate. Instead he died after nearly being crushed to death in a car crash. Ellen Dempsey and her car were in the same condition that he documented about the other accident investigation.
“The cop told me that within hours of telling his story to Jack, he was at the scene investigating the wreck Jack and Abby died in, and he said it was the same deal as the other two. The other driver in the crash died, and the blame was placed on him, but it was a homicide by auto that Jack, Abby and the young teenager lost their lives in, Dr. Bartlett is certain” said Mickey as he then continued.
“Before I left his office, I found notes and papers on Jack’s desk and put them in my shoe, where I always put hardcopy that’s valuable. I went to get my rental and it was gone, stolen in front of the police station from a free parking spot. I was looking around for it on the side of the building and before I knew it two men came at me, one put a gun in my ribs and the other clocked me with his gun.
“I came to when they dragged me into their car and I must have passed out again because all I can remember is a big cold room and a woman’s voice telling me to make it easy on myself or else I would die slow and painfully.
“Boss seriously whoever those people are they’re animals with no souls, and no shame. They were making jokes about Jack, and they said they didn’t know that a broad was in the car with him,” said Mickey.
“When I wouldn’t talk the two men tired themselves out beating the hell out of me. I didn’t tell them anything Nathan, and finally I was on the floor and a size 12 kicked me in the head and out I went again. Something must have happened so they went to handle it, planning to finish me off later.
“I woke up and there was noise coming from upstairs, I could hear voices and when I got to my feet I checked the doors. When I couldn’t see any movement behind them, I grabbed the skinny end of a lead tool sharpener lying in the dust and I used it to break a lock on a metal door. I crawled through waist high grass and weeds and after a while I saw the Hyatt’s Flags and I stood up and headed for them hugging the buildings to stay upright. I was so tired when I got to the park, I just collapsed,” said Mickey.
Thanks to Ronnie Perry, by the time he’d finished his story Mickey was a lot cleaner and wearing Nathan’s silk pajamas under the blankets.
John removed the documents from Mickey’s private file cabinet in his shoe and showed them to Nathan. Sam Watts carried one of his concoctions of healing herbs and slowly let Mickey sip the hot fluid which he did without complaint until the cup was empty.
“Thanks Sam, I needed that,” said Mickey.
“Thanks to Ronnie, you almost look pretty again,” said Nathan.
“About that, can you guys leave me and her alone, so we can get to know each other now that she’s seen what I have to offer,” said Mickey.
“Say that to me when you’ve gotten your strength back and watch out handsome,” said Ronnie beaming at her patient.
The doctor recommended by Hernandez and Coombs, finally arrived with the two of them and asked to be left alone with Ronnie, to thoroughly examine Mickey. It was twenty-five minutes later when he stepped out of the bedroom and into the suite’s living room.
“Mr. March a lesser man would have needed to be hospitalized after taking the beating that man did today. He can thank his lucky stars that he’s in such fine physical condition, because that made all the difference. I can tell you that I believe he has a concussion, and he’s very bruised and swollen where he was kicked. Nothing appears to be broken, but without X-ray’s I can’t be sure that’s true. Right now his lungs are clear, he’s breathing comfortably, his heart sound’s fine and his other vital signs are all in normal range. I did make him comfortable with pain medication and I left some pills on the night stand to keep him that way.
“I’ll be back tomorrow morning, early. Meanwhile he’s got a good nurse there with him, and you can call me anytime if things change,” said Dr. Fletcher Adams who looked like he’d just graduated high school, to Nathan.
“Dr. Adams where are your offices?” asked Ronnie,” joining the conversation.
“You go seven blocks south then turn right and you’ll see the Carney Street Clinic in the middle of the liquor store and the A-Z Mart. That’s my place and it’s where you’ll find me, 24/7, said Dr. Adams, as he bid Nathan goodbye and left the suite.
“I’ll bet he’s got an interesting story,” stated Nathan to Ken Hernandez.
“Fletch is the name he goes by downtown. He’s saved a few of our people by tending to them immediately following a knifing or shooting, and when any of our kids get sick in the middle of the night, it’s Fletch who’ll see them immediately,” said Ken.
“He was checked out thoroughly when he opened his clinic. Our detectives found out that he’s a true blueblood originally from Pennsylvania. His father was a very wealthy land developer, and his mother inherited millions from her parents at the time of their death, less than a year after her marriage to Fletch’s father.
“Fletch was the youngest of three children and word has it that he was literally cut off when he refused to head the new clinic Mommy had built for him. Instead with his residency completed, he headed for New York and spent a dozen years at Mercy Hospital in the city, before he came to Houston for a brief visit with a friend from school. He stayed and opened up his own clinic with the inheritance money his father left him,” said Farley.
“I need to add one last comment that Jack told us, not too long ago. It seems Gillian Solomon set up a press conference, right here in the Hyatt to gain some positive publicity for herself, by offering $500,000.00 to Fletch for the clinic, in her husband’s name. Jack came to the event and watched as Fletch rejected Mrs. Solomon’s donation in front of TV and other news cameras. He said he couldn’t take her money as it would be a conflict of interest since most of his clientele at the clinic were there one way or another, because of her many enterprises that were hardly operating in the public’s best interests,” said Ken.
“I’d call that suicidal,” said Ronnie Perry.
“Well what were the chances she could do the doctor harm, after publically being humiliated by him, and his getting away with it? Hell if he even caught a cold, she’d be brought in for questioning immediately,” said Nathan.
“Jack said the exact same thing himself,” said Farley and then suddenly the young detective remembered where they were all going tomorrow afternoon, and the laughter faded.